
( lass 
Book 



PRESENTED BY 



EVERYBODY'S 

PAINT BOOK. 

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE ART OF 

OUTDOOR AND INDOOR PAINTING. 

DESIGNED FOR THE SPECIAL USE OF THOSE WHO WISH TO 
DO THEIR OWN WORK, . 

AND CONSISTING OF 

PRACTICAL LESSONS 



PLAIN PAINTING, VARNISHING, POLISHING, STAINING, 
PAPER-HANGING, KALSOMINING, ETC., r , r 

AS WELL AS DIRECTIONS FOR 

RENOVATING FURNITURE, AND HINTS ON ARTISTIC WORK 
FOR HOME DECORATION, 

TOGETHER WITH 

A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE TOOLS AND MATERIALS USED. 

PRECISE DIRECTIONS ARE GIVEN FOR 

MIXING PAINTS FOR ALL PURPOSES. 

ILLUSTRATED. 
By F. B. GARDNER, 

Author of" The American Method of Carriage Painting." 



NEW YORK: 
M. T. RICHARDSON, PUBLISHER. 

1884. 



. S 2.S 



COPYRIGHTED BY 

M. T. RICHARDSON, 

1884. 

GIFT 
$ISS E. M KSTTREDG1 
JAN- 22, 1940 



EDWARD O. JENKINS, 

Printer and Stereoiyfter, 
20 North William St., New York. 






<x* 



PREFACE. 



In the following pages an effort has been made to 
record the experience of the author, gained by close 
application to painting for over thirty years. To attempt 
to impart technical knowledge to one not possessing even 
a primary schooling in the art, it must be admitted, is no 
easy task. If, after a perusal of these pages, therefore, 
and a trial of the many methods described, the would-be 
painter fails in his endeavors, he will, I believe, feel chari- 
tably inclined, and give me credit for a conscientious en- 
deavor to explain everything clearly. Failures, should 
they occasionally occur, will generally be found to be the 
result of unskilful combinations or manipulations, and 
should by no means discourage the student. A second or 
third trial, after a careful study of the directions, will, no 
doubt, usually bring success. 

I desire herewith to express my obligations to Miles 

(iii) 



IV PREFACE. 

Bros. & Co., manufacturers of brushes, and also to 
Bradley & Smith, manufacturers of brushes, both of 
this city, for their courtesy in permitting the use of the 
cuts employed to represent the different styles of brushes 
recommended in this work. 

F. B. GrAEDNEB. 

New York, March 15, 1884. 



EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 



CHAPTEE I. 

General Remarks. 

We all know how difficult it is sometimes for the farmer 
and even the resident of a village or city to get a small 
job of painting done properly at a reasonable cost. He 
may be able and willing, for reasons of economy, to do 
the work himself, but lacks the knowledge requisite to 
mix the paint, or to purchase the proper materials for 
such work, and through fear that he will not succeed, or 
as former experience has taught him, that " the paint won't 
dry," or " is a poor, unsatisfactory color," he abandons the 
idea of improvement by paint or varnish, and the conse- 
quence is, that his buildings, farming utensils, vehicles, 
and household furniture go to ruin quickly, and he sinks 
many hundreds of dollars, when a few hundred cents 
would have saved all, and have made his place — to use an 
inelegant, but expressive phrase — "as pretty as a red 
wagon." 

The "women folks" often have little jobs of painting 
to be done ; and many a one is capable of wielding the 
brush well enough if she "only had the paint." There 



2 everybody's paestt book. 

are the churn, tubs, pails, the pump, wood or brick-work 
around the stove, or shelf, and a hundred and one little 
things which constant use makes unsightly, and the cost 
of painting them would be trifling. But how to accom- 
plish it with the limited knowledge they possess is a prob- 
lem which it seems almost hopeless to attempt to solve, 
and so much of the sunshine of their home is shadowed 
by a desire to do, without the means at hand to carry out 
their wishes. 

It is the purpose of this volume to supply, in plain lan- 
guage, divested of all technicalities, the information 
required to enable every man and woman who may feel 
so inclined, to do their own painting. The author brings 
to the work an extensive experience in the various 
branches of painting and varnishing, and feels confident 
that those who follow his directions carefully will have no 
cause to complain of the result. 



CHAPTER H. 

What is Paint? 

Let us first consider what paint is. Paint is simply a 
mixture of one or more colored pigments and liquids; 
the former being in some instances common earth, clay, 
or pulverized stones ; in others, products of the vegetable 
world ; and again in others, products of the mineral 
world. All pigments, however, are presented to us in the 
form of a dry powder, in lumps, of variable hardness or 
in coarse grains. 

The liquids commonly used are : 

1st. Linseed Oil, in its raw state, or after it has been 
boiled with chemical agents to hasten its drying prop- 
erties. 

2d. Japan Dryer, for hastening the drying of oil paint, 
or for mixing with pigments to form paint. 

3d. Turpentine, a volatile thinner or vehicle, which rap- 
idly evaporates, leaving the oils to oxidize or harden. 

With these materials we are enabled to make paint of 
any color, or for any purpose ; durable paint for outdoor 
wear, either with or without a coating of varnish over it ; 

(3) 



4 EVEKYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 

or a ready drying paint to be used indoors, which would 
not be durable if exj)osed to the weather. 

There are a few of the pigments which reqoire no 
further jxreparation than a simple stirring, or possibly 
straining through a coarse cloth after they are mixed, 
while others must be crushed and ground in a paint-mill, 
to bring them to the necessary degree of fineness. It will 
not be amiss just here, to enumerate those pigments which 
require no grinding for ordinary work, so as to enable 
those who are not provided with a mill, or with a marble 
slab and other conveniences, to choose a color to suit their 
requirements. 

Pigments which eequtre no Grinding. 

White Paint is made by mixing white-lead, which may 
be purchased already ground in oil, at from ten to fifteen 
cents per pound; any offered below that price will gener- 
ally be found to be adulterated with chalk or other in- 
ferior substances. 

Outdoor White. — For durable outdoor white, mix the 
white-lead to a milk-like consistency, with linseed oil, 
either boiled or raw, the latter being preferable. A small 
amount, say, of turpentine may be added to cause it to 
spread easily, or a little Brown Japan may be mixed with 
it to hasten the drying. This paint is suitable for houses, 
fences, and like purposes. 

Lndoor White. — White paint for the inside of a house 



everybody's paint book. 5 

should not be mixed with oil, for if it is, and the room be 
closed or darkened, the paint will turn dark, or yellow. 
Turpentine alone should be used, except that a very little 
Japan dryer may be added to make it dry quickly. Some 
house-painters use oil in first coats on interior work, but 
it is not considered a good plan. 

White-lead geound in Oil, known to many by the name 
of "keg-lead," is the base or principal ingredient in a 
variety of colors, and serves well as a durable paint on 
many kinds of work. "We will consider it, however, as a 
white paint before entering upon the mixtures by which 
tints are formed. 

White-lead, being a dry pigment mixed with linseed 
oil, and ground fine in steam mills, is ready when diluted 
to the consistency of milk, with turpentine, to be spread 
upon any ordinary work where white is desired ; but if it 
be used for the first coat, or " priming " on new wood, for 
either inside or outside work, it is better to dilute with 
raw oil rather than with turpentine, and the addition of 
one gill of Brown Japan (a dryer) to each quart of the 
mixed paint, will also be found of value, where time is an 
object. After the first coat has become dry, or hard, and 
a second one is necessary, the lead may be diluted with 
turpentine only, and a small quantity of dryer — say one 
gill to a quart of paint — be used. 

Patent Dbyee. — In the opinion of the writer, all such 
dryers as litharge, patent dryer, sugar-of-lead, etc., are 



6 EVERYBODY S PADfT BOOK. 

unreliable and unfit for use, while a liquid dryer, such as 
brown japan or japan gold-size may be used to advan- 
tage in mixing any kind of paint. 

White Paint mixed by the latter method will answer 
for the interior of houses, or work not to be exposed to 
the weather without varnishing; but where it is to be ex- 
posed, and not to be protected by varnish, more oil than 
turpentine should be used in mixing. 

Boiled Linseed Oil. — Many have a preference, based 
upon hearsay, or ignorance of the matter, for boiled lin- 
seed oil in mixing paint, and there may be some places, 
or some kinds of work on which it will work best ; but 
the writer has yet to learn where. 

Raw Lixseed Oil — not fish oil, nor cotton-seed oil, but 
the " simon pure " article — if aided in drying, or oxidiz- 
ing (the proper term) by brown japan, will invariably give 
perfect satisfaction. 

Palxttng a Pure White. 

To paint a pure white, and have it "flat" or "dead," 
i. e., without gloss, take from the keg the desired amount 
of white-lead, and thin it to the consistency of milk, by 
the addition of turpentine. Then set it away to settle ; 
the white-lead being heavy, will go to the bottom of the 
vessel, leaving a large portion of the oil and the turpen- 
tine which has not evaporated on the top. This should 
be poured off carefully, and the sediment mixed to a 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 7 

proper consistency for spreading with turpentine. Such 
paint is used by carriage-makers in the painting of white 
hearses, stages, etc., and must be protected by varnish. 

Varnishing over White. — In varnishing white work the 
best way is to use varnish mixed or colored with a small 
quantity of the white paint. This is called " color-and- 
varnish." It is seldom, if ever, that varnish can be had 
clear enough to lay over white without discoloring it. 

Damar Varnish. — Many think that white Damar varnish 
can be used over white, and so it may, if the work is not 
to be exposed to the weather or to be handled frequently, 
but it is poor stuff, at best, and should be discarded from 
all ordinary painting. Any first-class carriage finishing 
varnish is excellent for covering white as described above. 

After the coating of white " color-and-varnish " is dry, 
it should be rubbed to an egg-shell gloss, and perfectly 
smooth with pulverized pumice-stone and water — a pro- 
cess which will be fully explained under its proper head. 
(See page .) 

Paint that Kubs Off or "Chalks." — We frequently 
see white paint on the exterior of buildings, on wagons, 
and other things, which can be easily rubbed off in fine 
dust, and were we in ignorance of the cause we might 
experience a feeling of surprise. One of the causes is 
loss of oil. The wood being porous, absorbs or draws in 
the oil, leaving the white-lead on the surface without suffi- 
cient binding quality. In our rambles, gentle reader, 



8 everybody's paint book. 

through these pages, we shall see further on how this 
difficulty may "be overcome. 

White-lead, as before said, forms the basis for all tints 
of color, when a pigment is mixed with it, as will be seen 
in the following list: 

How Tests are Formed with "White. 

Straw Colok. — Add chrome yellow to white-lead. 

Silver-gray. — Add lampblack and indigo. 

Eose Color or Pink. — Add carmine or lake. 

Pea-green. — Add chrome green. 

Lead Color. — Add lampblack. 

Wood Color. — Add raw umber. 

Drab Color. — Add burnt umber. 

Salmon Color. — Add umber, red and yellow. 

Pearl Color. — Add blue and black. 

Cream Color. — Add yellow and red. 

Each of these will be considered hereafter, so that 
any one may procure the ingredients and mix them in 
proper proportions. The amateur will find in mixing 
paint, that a pigment and oil alone will not work as well 
as when there is a dryer (brown japan) mixed with it; the 
oil having a tendency to run away from the pigment and 
produce streaked work. This is particularly noticeable 
with lampblack 

Brown Japan as a Dryer. — A small quantity of a liquid 
dryer — say one gill of brown japan to a quart of paint — 



everybody's paint book. 9 

will prevent the trouble. Paint which has run, as spoken 
of, and is not yet dry, may be made quite perfect by rub- 
bing the brush over it, filled with a little japan and tur- 
pentine. 

There is one pigment, and but one, which is prevented 
from running by the simple use of water, and that is 
ultramarine blue. 

The use of oil in paint, except in a very few cases, 
should be confined to outdoor work entirely. There is no 
good reason for indoor paint being mixed with anything 
so durable, for, as before mentioned, the desired dura- 
bility can be imparted by coats of varnish. 

Black for ordinary work may be made of lampblack, 
which is simply the soot from burning oils or vegetable 
substances, and not only is it an impalpable powder, but 
being pure carbon it is unaffected by the elements, and 
therefore the most durable of all pigments. 

Lampblack, does not possess the jet color of Ivory 
Black or bone black, but it serves a very good purpose, if 
those colors are not brought in close contact with it. It 
may be mixed with linseed oil, but being of a greasy na- 
ture it does not dry well when so mixed, and it is best, in 
most cases, to use brown japan, or carriage rubbing var- 
nish and turpentine in mixing ; see chapter on mixing 
paint. Lampblack (dry) costs about eight cents per 
pound. 

Red. — There are several red pigments which may be 
1* 



10 everybody's paint book. 

used -without grinding. The first and brightest being 
Vermilion, of which there are several kinds. 

English Vermilion is used on carriages, and for any fine 
work, while American vermilion is suitable for wagons, 
farm implements, etc. 

Color for Farm Tools and Wagons. 

Indian Ked is an excellent dark red color, and is suit- 
able for wagons and machinery or farm tools. 

Color for Brickwork and Outbuildings. 

Venetian Red is a red ochre or earth, suitable for any 
common work, or for brickwork and outbuildings. 

Color for Ironwork. 

Bed-lead is a bi-product in the manufacture of white- 
lead, and an excellent pigment for ironwork. Either of 
these reds may be mixed with oil, japan, or varnish and 
turpentine without grinding. 

Color for Machinery or Household and Farm 
Implements. 

Green. — All green pigments may be mixed and used 
direct, except on fine work. The most useful green is 
Chrome Green, of which there are three grades, the light 
medium and deep. This color is well adaj)ted for ma- 
chinery, or for household and farm implements. 



everybody's paint book. 11 

Yellow. — Chrome yellow comes in several shades, viz., 
light, medium, deep, lemon, orange, etc. It may be mixed 
without grinding, but it is best when having passed 
through the mill. 

Ultramarine Blue is considered the best in the list of 
blues, and almost any shade can be made by simply alter- 
ing the ground over which it is put, for it is a transparent 
color, and is generally put upon a blue ground formed of 
Prussian blue; but Prussian blue is a hard pigment, and 
must be ground in a mill, or on a marble slab. 

There are several other pigments which may be mixed 
without grinding, but all of these will be mentioned in 
their proper places. 



CHAPTER UL 

The Tools kequiked in Painting. 

It is not necessary to give a full list of the brushes 
used by the painter, for they are numerous, and only a 
few are required for ordinary work. A brush may be 
kept in good order for a year or more, and again be 
ruined in a very short time, for if once the paint or var- 
nish is allowed to dry hard in the bristles or hairs, it will 
be a poor tool ever after. Many believe that they can 
wash the paint from a brush, dry it, and have it as good 
as new, but it is a fallacy. No brush washed with soap 
and water will have the same elasticity as before, and if 
it droops like a wet rag, in handling, good work can not 
be done. For painting around the house or on the farm, 
there is no necessity for the purchase of such fine brushes 
as a professional requires, and those only will be described 
which will be found serviceable and inexpensive. 

For certain kinds of work, as, for example, to paint the 

outside of a building, or fence, a large-sized bristle brush 

and possibly a small " tool " will be needed. If it be a 

large job, that is, should there be a prospect of your 

using the tools for some time, it would be better to " get 
(12) 



everybody's paint book. 13 

good ones/' for they are the cheapest in the long run. If, 
however, the job you have in hand is a short one, you 
will find brushes in the stores that will serve your pur- 
pose, and can then be cast aside, for a trifling sum. 

A brush for such work is designated by the brush- 
maker according to its size: as 1 naught, 2 naught, 3 
naught, etc.; the 4 or 5 naught sizes being about the re- 
quired one, costing from $2.12| to $2.50 each. 

The small brush or "sash-tool" may be, say, No. 4, 
costing from fifteen cents to twenty-five cents. 

The brushes suitable for such work as will be described 
in this book only will be noticed, for to give an illustra- 
tion and description of all the tools used by the artist or 
the painter would swell this volume to twice the size con- 
templated. 

The selection of a brush requires great care, for a poor 
brush is one of the most useless things one can think of. 
It not only spoils the work, but causes the loss of much 
material, excites the temper of the user, and is virtually 
so much money thrown away. It is our purpose at this 
point to describe the proper kind of brush to buy to in- 
sure satisfactory work. 




Fig. 1 shows an Ordinary Paint Brush. 

The ordinary paint brush used by painters, for either 
outside or inside work, is shown in Fig 1. 



14 everybody's paint book. 

It is made either from selected Russia bristles or with 
gray centre and fine white bristles, the former being most 
expensive and a far better brush ; but for common work 
the gray centre brush will answer every purpose. They 
are bound with wire, and the juices range according to 




Fig. 2 shows Cheap Brush Bouxd with Twine. 

size — from No. 6 down to (naught), and from (one 
naught) up to 0000 0000 (eight naughts). A four-naught 
brush, costing about $2.00, is about the size for general 
work. 

Brushes bound with twine, as shown in Fig. 2, are 
cheaper, and suitable for painting outbuildings, fences 
and work of that kind. The cost is about $1.00 for a 0000 
brush. 



Fig. 3 BEPEESENTS A SASH TOOL. 

A sash tool, or small brush, shaped like that shown in 
Fig. 3, is necessary in all cases for cleaning up around 
comers, or for doing work where it is impracticable to use 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



15 



the large brush. These are bound with twine, and cost 
from 15 cts. to $1.00 ; the size No. 6 being most useful, 
costing perhaps 25 cts. 




4. — A Flat Brush with Chiselled Edge. 



Flat paint brushes are preferred by some (see Fig. 4). 
These are " chiselled," or ground off on the sides to form 
a thin edge. They make excellent varnish brushes, and 
much of the work spoken of in subsequent chapters may 
be well done if such a brush is used. They are graded in 




Fig. 5 shows an Otal Varnish Brush. 

size by their width — as one inch, two inches, etc. — a 2^-inch 
brush being large enough for most work, costing from 50 
to 75 cts. each. 



16 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOEI. 



The oval varnish brush (Fig. 5) is made of fine French 
bristles, and in the hands of a professional will last a long 
time on best work. We have known a brash of this de- 
scription to be in daily use for three years; but where they 




Fig. 6.— Round or Flattened Bristle Brush. 

are used only a little they can not be expected to last so 
long, for they would not in such cases have the same care 
given them. The 0000 brush is a good size for general 
work. 

A good brush, for fine and small work is the bristle 
brush, round or flattened, as shown in Fig. 6. It may 
be used for painting, or as a companion to the oval brush 
just spoken of to clean up around corners, etc. 




Fi". 7.— A Camel's-Hair Brush. 



For fine color, such as ivory black, green, red, etc., a 
camel's-hair brush is best. (See Fig. 7). These are made 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK:. 



17 



of camel's hair, bound in tin, and well fastened with 
rivets. They lay the paint very evenly and smooth, but 
are too soft for varnish. 




Fig. 8.— Camel's-Hair Brush in Flattened Ferrule. 

For small work a brush shaped as shown in Fig. 8 will 
be found excellent. They are made of camel's hair, 
bound in a flattened round tin ferrule, and are not expen- 
sive. 

Striping pencils are shown in Fig. 9. These are made 
of black sable hair, camel's hair, ox hair, and fine bristles, 




Fig. 9 shows Three Sizes of Striping Pencils. 

bound in quills or in tin ferrules. The best are of sable 
hair, with the hair from If to 2^ inches in length. Camel's- 
hair pencils will answer most purposes, and they are quite 
inexpensive, generally selling for from 5 cts. to 25 cts. 
each, according to size. 



IS 



everybody's paestt book. 



Lettering pencils are made in a similar manner, but the 
hairs are much shorter. Fig. 10 will give a general idea 
of their appearance. They are fitted to -wooden handles, 
which may be purchased separately. 

The hah's of a lettering pencil should not be over one 
inch long, and many prefer them even shorter. Black 
sable-hair pencils are best, and expensive, owing to the 




Fig. 10 shows Three Sizes of Lettering Pencils. 

scarcity of the hair frorn which they are made, which 
comes from the tip of the tail of the Russian brown sable, 
an animal of the weasel family. 

Ox-hair pencils are now extensively used by manufac- 
turers of cheap furniture, and to some extent for other 
purposes. As the sales are constantly increasing, it is fair 
to suppose that they are giving satisfaction. But for fine 
carriage work they are rather too stiff and unyielding. 

The lettering pencil is used for laying size, or color in 
scrolling ; but for shading a scroll, a pencil with shorter 
hair is preferred. 

Selecting Pencils. . 

Many people — even professional painters — when choos- 
ing pencils of camel's hair or sable, put them in the moutb 



everybody's paint book. 19 

and draw them between the lips to judge of the shape or 
point ; but this is a very injurious proceeding, for the 
warm spittle causes the hairs to crinkle and " crook up," 
in many cases spoiling the pencil. To choose a pencil, 
press the dry hair between the thumb and finger to flatten 
the pencil, then draw it downward, holding it up to the 
light meanwhile. Tou will find the hairs of a good pointed 
pencil to be of nearly uniform length, gradually thinned 
down, until a square end is formed ; but if the hairs ap- 
pear ragged, as if broken off — no two of a length — reject 
it as a poor tool. 

The ends of striping or lettering pencils should never be 
cut across to square them, for the blunt end thus made 
makes a poor end, and good work can never be done 
with such a tool. 

The Caee of Pencils. 

All pencils, either of hair or bristles, should be well 
rinsed, after use, in turpentine, and then well greased 
with a mixture of sweet oil and tallow to prevent them 
from drying hard ; after which they should be put away 
in a covered box, out of the way of dust. 

If by any means a pencil becomes crinkled or crooked, 
it may be made straight by simply greasing the hair, and 
then drawing it between the finger and a warm iron sev- 
eral times. 

To soften a sable or camel's-hair pencil when it has 



20 everybody's paent book. 

been allowed to dry up hard with paint, put some turpen- 
tine into a shallow dish and set it on fire. Let it bum 
for a minute until hot, then smother the flame and work 
the pencil between the fingers, dipping it frequently into 
the hot spirits, which will soften and remove the paint. 

To make a striping pencil shorter, without unfitting it 
for its original use, take a piece of writing paper, about 
three-fourths of an inch wide, and wrap it around the pen- 
cil in the same way as in making a lamp-lighter, leaving 
the lower end rather loose, the upper end tied. By this 
method a pencil may be made as short as desired ; and 




Fig. 11.— Broad Striping Pencil. 

when you are done using in this form, remove the wrap- 
per and grease the pencil before putting it away, and it 
will be as good a striping pencil as ever. 

To make a broad stripe where the pencil is not large 
enough, tie two or three pencils together, using splints of 
wood to fill the space between the quills. It does not al- 
ways pay to buy a broad pencil, such as shown in Fig. 11, 
for only one job, and by joining two or three as described 
a pencil may be made to suit the work, and then be sepa- 
rated as before. 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



21 



A painter's duster (Fig. 12) is a very useful tool. A 
paint brush should not be used for dusting off work, for 
if used dry they quickly go to pieces, while an inexpen- 
sive duster will last a long time. 

Having given a general idea of the brushes best adapt- 
ed for the class of work treated upon in these pages, the 
manner of preserving them when not in use will next be 
described. All paint brushes should be kept suspended 
in water. Take a small tub and drive long nails through 




Fi?. 12.— A Painter's Duster. 



the staves, near the top ; then bore a hole with a gimlet 
or small bit in the handle of the brush, and suspend the 
brush on a nail in the tub (see Fig. 13) with the bristles 
or hairs a few inches from the bottom. Put water in the 
tub until it just covers the hairs, not the binding. The 
water will prevent the paint in the brushes from drying, 
and with a little care brushes may be preserved for a 
long time. 

Another plan is to have a tin box with a cover to it, the 
brushes being suspended upon a wire running through a 
hole in the handle, just so that the liquid in which the 



22 



EVERYBODY 8 PATXT BOOK. 



brusli hangs shall come a very little above the tin binding 
of the brush. (See Fig. 14). 

It may be well enough, where varnish brushes are used 
for common work or farm implements, to keep them sus- 
pended in raw linseed oil, but no fine varnishing can be 
done with brushes preserved in that manner. 

A varnish brush should never be put in water. Water 



JMUL 




-U '■ '■' ■ - 



Fig. 13.— Device for Preserving 

P.&INT BRUSHES. 




Fig. 14.— Another .Method of Pre- 
serving Brushes. 



causes the varnish remaining in the brush to turn white 
and form little white scales which are detrimental to clean 
varnishing, arid when once in a brush it is next to impos- 
sible to remove them. The carriage vamisher would make 
sorry work of it if his brushes were taken from a bath of 
oil when about to varnish a coach body. " Pitting " (small 
holes in the surface like honeycomb), enamelling, and a 
dozen other troubles arise from having oil, turpentine, 



everybody's paint book. 23 

or water come in contact with the brushes used for var- 
nishing. 

To Preserve Varnish Brushes. 

The usual method of keeping a varnish brush is to sus- 
pend it in varnish by a wire running through a hole in 
the handle (as shown in the engraving, Fig. 14) within a 
tight-covered tin bos, so suspended that the varnish in 
which it hangs comes just above the binding, all the hairs 
being covered. The same varnish as that in which the 
brush is commonly used is considered the best for the 
purpose, so that no foreign substance will be incorporated 
with that put upon the work. There are several good 
brush-keepers in market, and these are quite inexpensive, 
while some varnish-makers supply them gratis to their 
customers. 

Varnish brushes should never be rinsed in oil or tur- 
pentine ; but if by accident they get dirty, work them out 
on a clean board or painted surface. If the brush has 
become dirty by an unlucky fall to the floor, hold it at an 
angle toward the floor, in such a manner that when tur- 
pentine is poured upon it the spirits will not run up into 
the hilt of the brush, but will flow off, carrying with it the 
greater part of the dirt. After rinsing in this manner, 
strike the tin binding several sharp raps upon some hard 
substance, when the recoil or spring of the hair will cleanse 
the brush of turpentine ; then rinse in varnish. In mak- 



2i 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



rug a hole in the handle care should be taken not to per- 
forate the tin binding, for by so doing there is a liability 
that varnish will be admitted to the cement and soften it, 
causing the hairs to fall out. 



To Bridle a Brush. 
Nearly all the brushes used for plain painting require 




Fig. 15.— Showing a Bridled Brush. 

an extra binding or " bridle " : that is, the extra binding is 
extended out over the bristles, about one-half then- length, 
in order to prevent them from sjn'eading as vide as they 
would otherwise. There are several ways of putting on 
this bridle. One is to wrap a short cord around as far as 
desired (see Fig. 15), and then secure it to the handle ; 
but a better way is to take a piece of muslin just large 




Fig. 16.— Showing another Method or Bridling a Brush. 

enough to go around the brush, and wrapping it around, 
tie it at the place where the binding is to come, then turn 
it back toward the handle as you would turn a coat-sleeve 



evekybodt's paint book. 25 

or stocking, and fasten all securely by tying a cord around 
the handle. Cut off the surplus muslin, and a neater 
binding could not be desired. (See Fig. 16.) 

There are several patent brush-binders in market which 
serve a very good purpose — some of rubber, others of 
metal, — but the muslin plan appears to be best ; and when 
the brush is worn down too short, the extra binding can 
be removed, and you will have a brush as good as new 
again. 

How to Handle a Brush. 

There are but few outside of professionals who fully 
understand how to manipulate a paint-brush, so as to make 
smooth work with ease. 

Some grasp the handle in an awkward manner, and with 
a stiff wrist and long movement of the whole arm make 
what they think is the correct motion for spreading the 
paint; or perhaps they bear too lightly upon the bristles, 
and instead of producing a smooth coating, they " rag " 
and roll the paint up in streaks and patches. 

"We illustrate in the accompanying engravings, Figs. 17 
and 18, first, the manner of grasping a large, round paint 
brush, and passing it over a perpendicular piece of work 
from top to bottom; and, secondly, from the bottom up- 
ward. It will be noticed that the hand is partly turned 
in moving upward, and the principal movement is in the 
wrist. 

The wrist must not be held rigid, but be allowed all the 
2 



26 



everybody's paint book. 



freedom possible; then, when the knack is once acquired, 
a good job of brushing can be done with the greatest 
ease. 

Paint should not be put on too sparingly nor too plenti- 
fully ; a medium quantity laid and smoothed over nicely 
is all that is required. A uniform coating should be 
made, not daubs of material in one place and very little 
in another, neither should the paint be worked after it has 




-Shoeing proper manner of holding the brush for the down 
stroke in perpendicular work. 



begun to "set" or harden, otherwise it will be streaked 
or show brush-marks. 

The brush being dipped and filled with paint, it 
should be gently struck against the inner side of the 
tub to prevent the paint from running in streams from 
it when about to put it on the work, and the pot should 
be kept well wiped down upon its sides. 



everybody's paint book. 



27 



Always brush the work with the grain of the wood if 
possible, or the longest way of the part or panel, using 
the largest brush for wide parts, and finishing up around 
moldings in corners or on small parts with the sash-tool 
or small brush. The small brush is held in a very similar 
way to the holding of a pen, i. e., between the thumb and 




Fig. 18.— Showing proper manner op holding the brush for the up 

STROKE IN PERPENDICULAR WORK. 

fingers, but the large brush could not well be handled in 
that manner. 

Care should be taken to make as few laps as possible, 
and a panel or other part should be completed before 
another part is begun. • 

In painting ceilings, wainscoting, and woodwork where 
there are cracks to form a boundary, this should be taken 
advantage of, for then no laps will be made. 



28 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



The yarnisli brush should be held as shown in Fig. 19 ; 
but varnish is laid on far more plentifully than paint, and 
must be worked less. 

In painting a wagon gear, wheels, etc., it will be best 
to grasp the brush at the binding with the thumb and 




Fig. 19.— Showing proper method of holding the varnish brush. 



fingers, so as to have a better command over it. By a lit- 
tle practice and a careful study of the engravings, one 
may soon become familiar with the best method of hold- 
ing a brush. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

Painting Fabm Implements, etc. 

The mower, reaper, harrow, plows, and hay-rakes of a 
farm should be kept well painted to preserve them from 
decay, and in this chapter it is proposed to disabuse the 
mind of the expense attached thereto, as well as to give 
directions how such work may be done. 

Gbeen is the most fashionable color for such tools, and 
we will tell you how to apply that first. Procure, say, two 
pounds of chrome green, medium shade (dry), costing 
about twenty cents per pound. Mix it to a thick, mush- 
like consistency with carriage-rubbing varnish ; then thin 
the mixture with turpentine just sufficient to have it work 
well with the brush. Do not make it too thin or the bind- 
ing of varnish will be killed and the paint may be easily 
rubbed off when dry. A good plan is to test the paint on 
a piece of board, and add varnish or turpentine until it 
dries with a slight gloss — not too dead. 

Green paint may be purchased ready mixed in either 
oil or japan, but I advise the use of dry color prepared as 
above directed, as it is less expensive and generally gives 
better satisfaction. 

(29) 



30 EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 

Brown is a very good color for farm implements, and is 
made by mixing a little lampblack with Indian red. 
Lampblack costs from three to ten cents a pound, and 
Indian red about twenty cents per pound (dry colors). 
It is generally best to mix the colors separately, then add 
the black to the red in small quantities until the desired 
shade is obtained, using carriage-rubbing varnish and tur- 
pentine as with the green. 

Blue is made with ultramarine blue and white-lead. 
Ultramarine usually costs about fifty cents per pound, 
but it is light, and a pound will cover a large extent of 
surface. Prussian blue is less expensive, but unless pur- 
chased ready mixed it will have to be ground in a mill, 
and it wall be better for those having no mill to use the 
ultramarine. 

In order to give the reader a fair idea of the colors 
which can be used on the work under consideration as 
well as on most other work, a list — -with the average price 
per pound of colors ground in japan, and which require 
simply a thinning with turpentine to make them work 
nicely under the brush — is given below: 

List of Colors ground in Japan, with Peices pee Pound. 

Peussian Blue, $1.20 

Lltr.olveine, ..... 1.00 

Chrome Green, . . . . . .55 

Milori Green, ..... 1.05 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



31 



Tuscan Bed, 






.70 


American Vermilion, 






.50 


Umber, Raw and Burnt, 






.37 


Sienna, " 






.35 


Chrome Yellow, 






.50 


Golden Ochre, 






.45 


Venetian Red, _ . 






.12 


Paris Green, 






.30 


French Ochre, 






.18 


Lampblack, 






.25 


Ivory Black, 






.50 



Cleaning before Painting. 

In painting farm implements care should be taken to 
thoroughly clean every part from dirt, scrape off any 
loose paint with an old knife, and rub each part well 
with No. 2 sand-paper. Then, after a good dusting off, 
begin the painting, laying the paint evenly and with no 
more brushing than just sufficient to cover the surface. 
Many people think that it is necessary to apply but a 
trifling amount of paint, and then to rub it well in with 
the brush, but that is not the proper way. Apply the 
paint freely and level it down (this rule applies to any kind 
of painting), after which apply a coat of medium quality 
carnage-finishing varnish. 



32 everybody's paint book. 

To Paint a Business "Wagon. 

The painting of a wagon is a more particular job than 
the painting of farm implements, for a wagon to be well 
done must be varnished, although it is best to varnish 
anything which is painted with " quick color," i. e., the 
paint described above, for durability can only be se- 
cured by varnishing. 

To paint a wagon, first place a barrel or other support 
under each axle, so that the wheels may be free to turn ; 
then take off the wheels and set them aside, while the 
running parts and body are being prepared by sand-pa- 
pering sufficient to thoroughly clean them with No. 2£ 
sand-paper. This part of the work should not be neg- 
lected, for the better the first cleaning, the better the 
painting will be. 

The body and running part being well sand-papered, 
put on the wheels and give them a good rubbing with 
sand-paper; clean off all grease which may be on them 
with benzine or turpentine ; and it is an excellent plan 
where shellac varnish is at hand to coat over the hubs 
and such other parts where grease has been, with that be- 
fore painting. It dries quickly, and prevents all trouble 
from the grease working through the paint. A thorough 
dusting now brings the work up to the painting. 

The colors best adapted for wagons are as follows: 



everybody's paint book. 33 

Colobs for Painting Wagons. 
Body — Green, . . Gfars — Yellow or Red. 



Brown, . . 


" Vermilion. 


Red, . . . 


" Cream-color. 


Olive Green, 


" Indian Red. 


Indian Red, 


" Yellow or Cream-color 


Black, . . 


" Red or Brown. 



To make the paint for such work there should be a small 
quantity of raw linseed oil added to cause the color to spread 
nicely, but too much oil will be found worse than none at 
all, and its use is restricted to no more than a gill of oil 
to a quart, of paint. Carriage-rubbing varnish or brown 
japan and turpentine are the principal vehicles employed, 
and the paint may be mixed as heretofore directed for 
farm implements. 

Begin the work by painting the body, — the wheels hav- 
ing been removed, — after which the axle-beds, bars, reach, 
etc., and lastly the wheels. Let the job stand until the 
next day to dry. It is perhaps needless to remark that 
the work should be done under cover, and in a place as 
free as possible from dust. 

Noav, with putty made by mixing some dry pigment 

(as near the color used as possible) with brown japan to 

a stiff dough, putty up every imperfection, such as chipped- 

off spots, cracks, and dents, using a square-ended putty 

knife. Smooth down and level over all such places in 
2* 



34 everybody's paint book. 

both body and gears, and let the putty dry. After the 
putty is well dried, rub all the putty spots over to smooth 
them, with No. 2 sand-paper, and apply the second or fin- 
ishing coat of paint, mixed as before. Let the second 
coat dry well, which it will do in from eighteen to twenty- 
four hours. Then take some carriage-rubbing varnish in 
a cup, and add to it a little of the paint as used on the 
body, and in another cup of varnish add a little of the 
paint as used on the gears. This forms what has before 
been described as " color-and-varnish," and it should be 
applied in the same manner as clear varnish, i. e., with a 
varnish brush. 

A coat of " color-and-varnish " over the paint prepares it 
for striping, lettering, or ornamenting, if these are de- 
sired.* 

The striping, etc., being done, a coat of varnish will 
complete the work (see Chapter on varnishing). 



* " The Complete Carriage and Wagon Painter," price $1, M. T. 
Richardson, publisher, New York, gives full details for striping, 
lettering, and ornamenting. 



CHAPTEE V. 

Mixing and Applying Coloks. 

Having mentioned most of the pigments, the vehicles 
for mixing paint, and the tools necessary for plain paint- 
ing, directions will now be given for making the various 
colors and applying them. It should be understood, how- 
ever, that no definite rule can be laid down regarding the 
quantity of any one pigment to be added to another to 
form a certain color, for the strength of pigments varies 
greatly, and what might answer well in one case would 
not do at all in another. 

The eye of the paint-mixer must be the judge, and it is 
always best to add one ingredient to another in very small 
quantities until the desired shade of color is reached. 
The formulas here given will serve as a good general 
guide, and any one may, after a little experience, learn to 
change the proportions to suit either the strength of the 
pigments, or his own taste. 

Brown is described in scientific works as "a warm, 

broken color, of which yellow is a principal constituent "; 

and under this classification we find Umber, Sienna, and 

several other earthy pigments ; but the color called brown 

(35) 



36 everybody's palkt book. 

by the majority of people, is virtually a dark red. If a 
red pigment, say Indian red, Tuscan red, Venetian red, 
Vermilion, etc., be added to black (either lampblack or 
ivory black), the result will be what is generally known as 
broivn ; and as this volume is intended more particularly 
for the use of those who are not professionals, and conse- 
quently not experts in the " tone " of a color, it will, per- 
haps, suffice to say, that to make a nice brown, take of 
Indian red a sufficient quantity (say a half pound, for it is 
a very strong-bodied color), mix it to a cream-like con- 
sistency with brown japan, and stir all well together. 
Next, take a half pound of lampblack and mix that with 
brown japan in the same manner. Now add the black to 
the red in small quantities, stirring it briskly meanwhile, 
until the shade of brown suits the eye. 

The more black that is added the darker the brown will 
be, and vice versa. When the proper color is obtained, 
add turpentine to the mixture until it is of a consistency 
to be easily spread with the brush. This paint will dry 
hard in half an hour, and will be " dead"- that is, have 
no lustre, and it should be varnished over with carriage- 
nibbing varnish to bring out its beauty. 

This brown paint is suitable only for inside icork, unless 
two or more coats of varnish are put over it ; but to make 
it durable on work to be exposed to the weather, and then 
to be varnished with but one coat, add to the mixture 
one gill of raw linseed oil to each pint of paint. 



everybody's paint book. 37 

Best Paint foe ordinary Household Furniture. 

For household goods such as chairs, tables, or other 
furniture, the paint described above cannot be excelled, as 
it has the appearance of hard wood ; but if a more elabor- 
ate job is desired, proceed as follows : 

After the " dead " color has been applied and is dry, 
take a piece of sponge or a rag, and dipping it into the 
black paint, lightly touch it here and there, to make a sort 
of grain or dark spots as seen in rosewood. Then, after 
all is dry, varnish over it with No. 1 Furniture Varnish. 
A still richer effect may be given to furniture as follows : 

Imitation of Bosewood for Furniture. 

Paint the work with a light shade of brown (that is, 
don't add so much black), grain it with the sponge dipped 
in black ; then, instead of applying clear varnish, add to 
the varnish just enough carmine or lake (ground in japan) 
to color the same, and apply it the same as if it was clear 
varnish. This "glazing" being transparent, does not 
solidly cover the groundwork, and the result will be a very 
fair imitation of rosewood. 

Paint for Flower-Stands. 

Many entertain the idea that a flower-stand should be 
painted green, but those who have used brown instead, 
have generally been pleased with the result. Bright 
green will cause many plants to present a dull and lifeless 



38 everybody's paint book. 

appearance, while the brown color brings out in pleasing 
contrast the green foliage of the plants. 

"Wash-tubs, Plows, Hakes, etc. 

Wash-tubs and many other useful household fixtures 
are improved in appearance by this same brown color, 
and upon all such work the " quick-drying " or " dead " 
color shoidd be put, and then it should be varnished with 
carriage-rubbing varnish. 

For plows, rakes, and other farm implements, the oily 
color, as previously described, should be used, for they are 
to be exposed to the weather, and unless several coats of 
varnish is applied, the paint would soon wear off. 

Brown Paint for Floors. 

Brown for floors may be made to wear well by simply 
adding a little No. 1 Furniture Varnish (say in the pro- 
portion of one quart of varnish to three quarts of paint) to 
the " dead " color previously described (not the oily color), 
for oily paint on a floor is sure to scratch easily, and rub 
off. 

Green comes next in order, and it may be used on many 
household fixtures in preference to brown, as well as on 
farm implements and machinery. 

Chrome Green, as purchased in the dry state, will give 
an excellent shade for ordinary work. There are three 
shades of chrome green, namely: light, medium, and deep; 



everybody's paint book. 39 

and the purchaser should look well to it that he gets the 
proper shade. Chrome green may he mixed in the same 
manner as in the instructions given for brown, i. e., with 
japan as a base, and then thin with turpentine. If for 
outside work add a gill of raw linseed oil to each pint of 
paint. 

Miloei Green is a very handsome bluish shade of 
green, and this may be purchased dry, or ground in japan. 
The latter is best, for the superior grinding given the 
paint by the paint manufacturer causes it to spread nicely 
and to be free from all grit. 

Green may be made by mixing chrome yellow and 
Prussian blue. The two colors should first be ground or 
mixed separate, and then added together until the proper 
shade of green is obtained. Prussian blue must be 
ground, for it comes in hard lumps from the manufactur- 
ers. The use of ready-ground blue is therefore recom- 
mended. The yellow may be crushed fine, but it will also 
be better for the purpose if ground in a mill. 

Common Green may be made by mixing chrome yellow 
and black. In making a green by the use of yellow and 
blue, the yellow should be as free from red, or orange, as 
possible, and therefore lemon yellow will be found best. 

Olive Green is made with chrome yellow, black and 
red. For a cheap olive green, take yellow ochre, lamp- 
black, and Venetian red. For a rich color, use orange 
chrome yellow, Prussian blue, and vermilion. 



40 everybody's paint book. 

Green and Leather Color for Farm; Implements. 

"For farm implements or machinery, a bright green is 
an excellent color; the nuts and bolt-heads being made 
black, and the principal panels or large parts striped with 
gold bronze or its imitation, i. e., yellow and white mixed 
to the proper shade. A perfect gold color is made with 
white-lead and orange chrome yellow, tinted with blue 
and red. 

A very neat and fashionable color, known as Le Cuir or 
leather color, is extensively used on farm wagons and im- 
plements. It is made by mixing two parts of Burnt 
Sienna with one part Burnt Umber, and tinting it with 
white. The Umber and Sienna are mixed together and 
"wet up" with brown japan to a thick paint-like consist- 
ency, then white-lead is added to bring about the proper 
shade. 

Vermilion (English) should be mixed with a quick-dry- 
ing carriage varnish, and in no case with oil, as the oil 
tends to darken the color. Japan may be used if it be of 
a very light color; but the ordinary brown japan will in- 
jure the purity of the color, and therefore pale carnage 
varnish is best. When mixed quite thick with varnish, 
thin with turpentine. 

Vermilion (American) produces the best results when 
diluted with whiting, for then it works better, and covers 
more solidly, one coat often being sufficient, where two 



everybody's paint book. 41 

coats would be necessary if the whiting was not added. 
To mix American Vermilion for a farm or lumber wagon, 
mix the dry vermilion with brown japan and raw linseed 
oil, equal parts, to a mush-like consistency; then thin it 
with turpentine. Next take one-half the quantity of whit- 
ing in bulk (not weight) and mix it to a stiff mush with 
raw linseed oil, and add it to the vermilion. Vermilion 
being a heavy pigment, settles rapidly to the bottom of 
the vessel, and also separates from the vehicles with which 
it is mixed; but the whiting prevents this, and prepared 
as described, it may be laid as smoothly as any paint. 

Indian Red tor Farm Wagons and Implements. 

Indian Eed, or Tuscan Red, one and the same thing, is 
an excellent paint for wagons and farm implements. It 
is a dark red, nearly approaching maroon. It may be 
used without grinding on such work, mixed with brown 
japan and a little raw oil. 

Pigments which may be Used without Grinding. 

The following list comprises those pigments which may 
be mixed directly, without the necessity of grinding them 
in a mill. A good plan, however, will be to strain such 
paint through coarse muslin or flannel, to take out the 
lumps if any remain after a good stirring: 



42 everybody's paint book:. 

All Dry Pigments. 

Venetian Red. Vermilion. 

Ultramarine Blue. Indian Red. 

Chrome Green. Chrome Yellow. 

Milori Green. Umber (Burnt and Raw.) 

Quaker Green. Sienna (Burnt and Raw.) 

Lampblack. Yellow Ochre. 

Mixtures. 

White-lead. — Mixed and ground in oil. 

Stone Color. — Five parts wliite-lead, two chrome yel- 
low, and one burnt umber. 

Drab Color. — Add burnt umber to white until the 
desired shade is reached. 

Lilac Color. — Tint white-lead with vermilion and ultra- 
marine blue until suited with the color. 

Purple Color. — The same as lilac, using more red and 
blue. 

Violet Color. — The same as purple. 

Chestnut Color. — Two parts red, two chrome yellow, 
and one part black. 

Flesh Color. — Tint white-lead with yellow and red. 

Fawn Color. — Tint white-lead with yellow and red, and 
add a little burnt umber. 

Plum Color. — Mix ultramarine blue and vermilion, and 
add a little white-lead. 



everybody's paint book. 43 

Bronze Green. — Add a little umber and black to chrome 
green. 

Olive Brown. — Add a little burnt umber to lemon 
chrome yellow. 

Cream Color. — Tint white-lead with red and yellow. 

Lemon Color. — Add lemon yellow to white lead. 

Copper Color. — Add a little red and black to orange 
chrome yellow. 

Leak Color. — Tint white-lead with a little black and 
ultramarine blue. 

Gray Color. — Tint, white-lead with lampblack. 

French Gray. — White-lead tinted with black and red. 

Oak Color. — White-lead colored with yellow ochre. 

Brick Color. — Add yellow ochre to Venetian red. 

A list of many more colors might be presented, and 
can be found in "The Complete Carriage and Wagon 
Painter";* but as they require grinding in a paint-mill, it 
is not deemed necessary to make mention of them here. 

All the above formulas should be carried out by mixing 
each color separately, then combining them, for if done in 
any other manner no definite result will follow. 



* M. T. Richardson, Publisher, New York. 



CHAPTEE VI. 

To Paint the Side Walls of a Room. 

To paint the side walls of a room is to many a labo- 
rious and expensive job; but when one is acquainted with 
the work, it does not seem to be so great a task, and 
therefore we will endeavor to tell just how to begin and 
how to finish a wall. 

Supposing the wall to have been kalsomined or white- 
washed. As much of the old coating as can be removed 
must first be taken off. Kalsomine can be washed off 
with water, but whitewash must be scraped with a putty- 
knife if thick, or sand-papered over with No. 3 sand-paper, 
if thin. The cracks and holes, if any exist, should be 
neatly filled with plaster-of-paris, wet with water to a 
mush-like consistency, and smoothed down. Then, hav- 
ing dissolved half a pound of glue in a quart of water by 
boiling, reduce it with water to a water-pail full, and with 
a kalsomine or whitewash brush, give the wall a good 
coating of the size thus formed. This will prevent the 
paint from striking in in spots, and, furthermore, it is an 

economical proceeding, for less paint will be required. 
(44) 



everybody's paint book. 45 

Give the size ample time for drying hard, and meantime 
get the paint ready. 

Take white-lead ground in oil, and thin it to a working 
consistency with turpentine, i. e., so it will spread easily 
with the brush; but not too thin. Add one gill of brown 
japan to every quart of the mixture; stir all well together, 
and the paint for the first coat is ready. 

The size being dry, begin at one corner of the room, 
laying on the paint plentifully, and brushing it just suf- 
ficient to spread it evenly and smooth. If the paint be 
rubbed too much with the brush, it will show brush-marks 
and streaks, which should be avoided as much as possible. 
The best brush for wall painting is the flat bristle brush 
about four inches in width. (See chapter on Brushes.) 
Go over every part of the wall carefully, laying on and 
spreading the paint, until all is done ; then give at least 
twenty-four hours for drying. 

The second, and finishing coat (for a good job can gen- 
erally be made with two coats), is now in order, and it is 
possible that a " tint " is desired. Tints are colors added 
to white, and to mix them the white-lead should first be 
thinned to a cream-like consistency with turpentine, and 
the staining ingredient — that is, any desired dry color — 
should be mixed in a similar manner in a separate vessel. 
Then add the stain little by little to the white until the 
tint required is obtained. It must be remembered that 
some pigments are very strong, and a single drop will 



46 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



change the tint, while other pigments being weak, will re- 
quire a much greater quantity to produce the desired 
effect. 

Tints for a Wall. 
The tints best adapted for a wall are : 
"White tinted with Ultramarine blue. Blue. 

" " " Kaw Umber , Drab. 

" " " Chrome Green Green. 

" " " Orange Chrome Cream. 

" " " Burnt Sienna Light Buff. 

" - " " Black and Blue. Gray. 

Either of these being chosen, mix the paint as directed 
for the first coat. Then add a gill of carriage-rubbing 
varnish to every quart of the mixture to cause it to diy 
with an egg-shell gloss, i. e., neither " glossy " nor " dead." 
Lay the paint on evenly, and the work will be conrplete. 



To Paint the Inside "Woodwork of a Dwelling. 

The woodwork of a dwelling is painted white in the 
following manner : Take from the keg of white-lead 
enough to complete the room, and put it in a paint-pot. 
Cover well with turpentine, stir into a thin milk-like con- 
sistency, and set aside to settle. The white-lead will set- 
tle to the bottom, leaving a good share of the turpentine 
and much of the oil it contained upon the top. Pour the 
liquid off, and thus you " wash " the oil from the lead. 



everybody's taint book. 47 

White-lead mixed with oil will, when put upon interiors, 
turn yellow, particularly if the rooms be darkened, as par- 
lors usually are, and by washing out the oil much of that 
trouble is obviated. When the lead is thus prepared, 
thin it with turpentine, and add, say, a teacupful of any 
light-colored carnage varnish to each quart of the paint 
to give it the necessary binding qualities. 

This paint may be put on for all the coatings necessary 
to cover the ground solidly, although it is a different mix- 
ture from that used by the professional house-painter. 
He would use more oil, perhaps, but the method described 
will give better results than any other way of procedure. 

Some desire a better white than white-lead will pro- 
duce ; if so, take zinc white instead, and use it in the 
same manner ; and then, if it is desired to have a glossy 
surface, mix with the zinc white an equal quantity of 
white damar varnish (the mixture is then called China 
gloss), and apply it as the finishing coat, over either the 
white-lead or zinc white. 

The panels of doors, etc., may be tinted to give a good 
effect, and. by referring to Chapter V. the reader will 
learn how to mix tints. It is fashionable just now to lay 
on a pale French gray to the principal parts of the wood- 
work, and then make the panels a shade or two darker. 

White fok Exteriob Use. 
For white work on houses, etc., to be exposed to the 



48 everybody's padtt book. 

weather, mix white-lead as it comes from the keg, with 
either raw or boiled linseed oil, and add brown japan, in 
the proportion of a pint to a gallon of paint, to cause it 
to harden well. 

"White for Wagons, Sleighs, etc. 

To paint a wagon white, great care must be taken to 
keep it white from the start, and to be clean in all the 
operations. The priming should be white-lead mixed 
with raw oil and a tablespoonful of brown japan to each 
pint. The rough stuff — if any be used — should be made 
of white-lead (dry), one part ; pulverized soapstone, two 
parts ; ground pumice-stone, one part ; and mix with 
brown japan and turpentine, equal parts ; then add a 
gill of raw oil to each pint of paint. 

"When the job is rubbed out of rough-stuff (see chapter 
on Painting Buggies), apply two coats of pure white-lead, 
washed, as before directed. Follow this with " color-and- 
varnish " made of keg lead one part, zinc white one part, 
and grind in rubbing varnish. "When that is dry, and has 
been nicely rubbed with pulverized pumice-stone, apply a 
second coat of " color-and- varnish " made in the same 
manner, but substituting a finishing varnish for the rub- 
bing varnish. "When this coat is dry, give the work a 
gentle rub with pumice-stone and water until a nice egg- 
shell gloss is obtained ; wash off ; put on the striping, 
lettering, or whatever is desired, and then pencil-varnish 



everybody's paint book. 49 

the stripes or letters, leaving the white ground untotiched. 
This will give a beautiful white job, and one far more 
durable than if varnish was spread over it as with other 
colors. 

The directions given for brown, green, white, etc., are 
sufficient to enable the student to use any of the colors 
which require no grinding ; but the finest colors are made 
by mixing and grinding them in a paint-mill. If much 
painting is to be done, that is, fine work, it will be well to 
either purchase a paint-mill (the prices of which range 
from $5 to $25), or to use the ready ground colors put up 
by manufacturers in tin cans, ranging from one-half a 
pound up. 

Pbepaeed Colobs. 

The prepared colors best adapted for general work are 
ground fine, mixed in brown japan (not oil), and to make 
them ready for use it is only necessary to observe the fol- 
lowing rules : 

Take from the can enough paint to do the job in hand, 
and stir well in the cup or tub before thinning ; then add 
a small quantity of turpentine, stirring all the time, and 
adding little by little until the paint is smooth and uni- 
formly liquid. Next, add a very little raw linseed oil — 
say two tablespoonfuls to a half-pound of paint ; or, if 
preferred, the same quantity of carriage-rubbing varnish 
may be used in place of the oil. 



50 everybody's paint book. 

Colors of this class should be limpid enough to spread 
nicely with a camel's-hair brush. The prepared colors are 
excellent in forming tints, for being ground fine they 
readily assimilate with white, and a lesser quantity will be 
required. However, where much work is to be done they 
are too expensive, as, for example, ultramarine blue (dry ) 
can be bought for 25 cents per pound, the japan neces- 
sary to make a pound of dry color into paint is worth, say, 
25 cents, but the price of a pound of prepared ultramarine 
blue is $1. Tou can make two pounds of this paint for 
50 cents. 



CHAPTER VIL 

Cleaning House. 

When the time for the annual house-cleaning conies 
around it frequently becomes necessary to have rooms 
painted and kalsomined, and perhaps papered. In the 
absence of a professional it is often found impossible to 
have such work properly performed, and even when the 
professional is present, it may be desirable, from motives 
of economy, to do the work yourself, provided you know 
how. 

Renovating the "Walls and Ceilings. 

The first thing that demands attention is the thorough 
renovation of the walls and ceilings. These may be either 
painted, kalsomined, or whitewashed. The first being the 
best and most expensive; the second generally preferable, 
on account of its ready application and durability of col- 
or; the last objectionable, except in the poorer class of 
rooms, or as a disinfectant. 

Painting a Plastebed "Wall. 
The painting of a plastered wall or ceiling calls for 

some skill in the manipulation of the brush so that 

(51) 



52 everybody's paint book. 

streaks, runs, or heavy flows may not appear. The paint 
for such work has been fully described in the chapter on 
Mixing Paint, to which the reader is referred. 

Kalsomimng. 

The kalsomining of a wall or ceiling is quite a simple 
task, notwithstanding the endeavors of professionals to 
create the impression that such extreme care and skill are 
required as to make it impossible for an ordinary work- 
man or workwoman to make a respectable-looking job. 

Kalsomine is simply the name given to a mixture of 
size and whiting, or other pigment, and this is still fur- 
ther dignified by the high-sounding title of "Fresco 
Painting." 

True fresco painting is seldom, if ever, seen in this 
country. It consists in intimately intermingling coloring 
substances with the plaster while the latter is still wet. 
The work is laborious, and requires a great amount of 
time to execute, as well as a thorough knowledge of the 
art ; the plaster being spread in patches — no more being 
put on at one time than can be nicely colored before it 
dries— then an additional patch of plaster is joined to 
the first and colored, and this process is continued until 
the wall is covered. 

Kalsomine is a sort of " distemper painting " when left 
plain, and when ornamented with flowers, vines, lines, etc., 
it is called " fresco," as before mentioned. 



everybody's paint book. 53 

Preparing the Walls. 
To prepare the wall or ceiling the old coloring matter 
must first "be removed. If this is kalsomine, it may be 
washed off with water ; if lime, it should be scraped or 
sand-papered off, after which the wall should be well 
brushed over with " size," to prevent the muddy or streaky 
appearance frequently seen. 

Recipe for Preparing the "Size." 
To make a " size " that will neither rub up or scale off 
under the kalsomine, take one pound of good bar soap, 
one pound of light-colored glue— the powdered, or com- 
minuted glue, will be found the handiest to use — and one 
pound of alum ; dissolve each ingredient separately in 
one quart of boiling water ; strain the soap and glue in a 
bucket, and add the alum solution slowly, so that it will 
not effervesce too much ; then add one quart of clear 
cold water, and the " size " is ready for use. When put on 
properly it should cover 500 square feet of surface. The 
" size " thus made is put upon the wall plentifully with a 
flat brush, such as is used for kalsomining (see engraving, 
Fig. 20), and should dry thoroughly before any attempt 
is made to apply a coat of kalsomine over it. 

To make Kalsomine. 
Take 15 pounds of good Paris white, mix it up with 
warm water, using the hands to crush the lumps and to 



5± 



EVERYBODY S PAESTT BOOK. 



thoroughly intermingle the particles until it presents a 
creamy appearance. Then add a half pound of light- 
colored glue previously dissolved in about three pints of 
boiling water, and strain all through a fine sieve; dissolve 
a half pound of bar soap in one quart of hot water, and a 




Fig. 20 shows a Kalsomine Brush. 



half pound of pulverized alum in a pint of cold water ; 
add the soap and alum solutions to the white. To im- 
prove the whiteness, or take off the yellowish hue, wet 
up a little ultramarine blue in water and add it to the 



everybody's paint book. 55 

mixture, until the color is quite "bluish ; for the mixture 
will dry out many shades lighter than it appears in the 
bucket. Or, if any particular tint is desired, any colored 
pigment may be thus wet up and added to produce the 
desired effect. 

The following colors may be obtained of almost any 
large dealer in paints, etc., ground in water and ready for 
use : 

To make Tints. 

Pink. — Add rose pink or lake to the white. 

Gray. — Add celestial blue and rose pink to the white. 

Orange. — Add Dutch pink and lake to the white. 

Gray. — Add ultramarine and black to the white. 

Straw. — Add Dutch pink or yellow to the white. 

Either whiting, dry white-lead, or Paris white may be 
used as a base in distemper tints ; but we are now con- 
sidering more particularly the coloring of kalsomine, as 
mixed above. 

In addition to the tints there are several varieties of 
"self-colors," or tones, obtainable by admixture with 
white, viz.: 

Pea Green. — Add chrome green or Brunswick green to 
white. 

Sage Green. — Add yellow ochre and Antwerp blue to 
white. 

Duck's-egg Green. — Add Milori green (deep) or ultra- 
marine blue and chrome green to white. 



56 everybody's paint book. 

Olive Green. — Add yellow ochre and Prussian blue, or 
yellow, black, and red to white. 

Blue. — Add a large share of ultramarine blue to white. 

Blue. — Add indigo to white. 

Purple. — Add ultramarine blue and lake or rose pink 
to white. 

The proportions must in all cases be determined by the 
requirements, and are generally decided by the furniture 
or hangings. The strength or body of each pigment 
should also be taken into account, — a very small quantity 
of one variety of pigment doing the work of a much larger 
quantity of another. As, for example, Prussian blue will 
be found much stronger than Ultramarine blue ; but the 
tint will verge on to a greenish blue when the former is 
used, while Ultramarine will give a clear rich sky blue. 

The kalsomine having been mixed as directed, and col- 
ored if desired, should now be set aside to cool, when it 
will assume a jelly-like appearance ; if not, the glue is not 
of the best, and more should be added, although it is not 
well to have too much glue in the mixture. 

Prepared Kalsomine. 

In this connection it may be well to add that of late 
years an extensive business has grown up in what is called 
"Prepared Kalsomine." By a special process the glue and 
tints are mixed with the whiting in the dry state, and the 
kalsomine is put up in small packages all ready for instant 



everybody's paint book. 57 

use, and can be obtained of almost any tint desired. In 
using prepared kalsomine, which can be purchased in 
almost any paint store, there is this advantage, that no 
time is lost in mixing, and should it happen that not 
enough is wet up to complete your job, no difficulty will 
arise in matching tints, — an important point with the 
amateur kalsominer. 

The brush shown on page 54 (Fig. 20), is, as will be no- 
ticed, unlike the common whitewash brush. Its whole 
width is well filled with bristles, and forms simply a very 
wide, flat paint brush. The usual width is from 6 to 8 
inches, and prices range from $1.50 to $4.00 each. 

The movement of the brush in kalsomining should not 
be the same as in painting or whitewashing, — i. e., in par- 
allel lines with the surface worked upon. A small quan- 
tity, yet sufficient to wet over a space say a yard square, 
should be taken upon the brush, and well spread over the 
wall in every conceivable direction, — that is, the brush 
should be moved in curves, circles, and irregular lines, 
never straight, — and when the space is well levelled down, 
in the manner indicated, it should be left to dry, and an- 
other space next adjoining be taken in hand, continuing 
thus until all is done. Never allow one part to diy before a 
connecting space is coated, or laps will be apparent. On 
a very large ceiling or side wall it is always best for two 
or more to work, and the quicker the work is done the 
better it will appear. The ceiling should always be kal- 



58 everybody's paint book. 

somined first, for there is a liability of spattering the 
side walls, and if these be done first and spattered over, 
no after-operation will entirely remedy the trouble. 

The plain work of kalsomining being now complete, it 
may be that the operator will desire to indulge in a little 
ornamentation, and this is "a knack" easily acquired if 
one will set his mind upon it. It is not expected that 
every one possesses sufficient artistic taste to design and 
ornament, and it would be a waste of time to endeavor to 
teach the art in so small a space. It will be best, there- 
fore, to give directions for the use of designs ready pre- 
pared in stencil, and these may be procured for a very 
trifling sum, say from 15 cents to 50 cents each. A few 
such designs are shown on page 59. The stencils are cut 
in heavy paper, and with care will last a long time. 

To make Stencils for Ornamenting Ceilings. 

To make a stencil, providing the operator is competent 
to draw a fair design, take a sheet of well-calendered 
paper, such as highly finished writing paper or foolscap. 
Fold it in the centre. Then, with the crease thus formed 
for the centre of the design, draw on one side of the fold 
one-half of the pattern with a soft lead-pencil. Fold the 
sheet with the marks inside, and laying it on a smooth 
surface rub over the pencilled portion with any smooth 
hard substance, and the marks of the pencil will be trans- 
ferred, making the whole pattern. Or, the marks first 



everybody's paint book. 59 

made may be cut out of the folded sheet if preferred, but 
the single cut will generally give the best results. Now 
lay the paper on a piece of glass, and with a very sharp 
penknife cut out the different parts, being particular to 







v?c 



*8ft 

v. , 









\*> I ^[5 



Fig. 21.— Stench Designs. 



leave bars (as shown in the engravings, Fig. 21) to hold 

the several parts together. 

The brushes best suited for stencils may be purchased 



60 everybody's paint book. 

at the paint stores ; but in case they are not easily pro- 
cured, take a good-sized camel's-hair pencil and cut it 
square across, leaving the hairs about one-half an inch in 
length. A shaving brush may also be used, by simply 
wrapping around it a strong cord until the bristles are 
made the proper length. 

Where a stencil pattern is to be frequently used, it is 
best to varnish the paper with shellac varnish to prevent 
the absorption of liquid from the colors and the rotting 
of the paper. 

The colors for stencilling are best purchased ready 
ground in size. The following list embraces those best 
adapted for the work, and the average price therefor : 

Cheome Yellow, 35 cents per pound. 



Silk Green, 


35 


Indian Red, 


25 


Dkop Black, 


20 


Vandyke Brown, 


20 


Burnt Sienna, 


18 


Raw Sienna, 


18 


Burnt "Umber, 


18 


Raw Umber, 


18 


Venetian Red, 


15 


French Ochre, 


10 



In using the colors it is a good plan to have at hand a 
piece of pasteboard, or a dry pine board, on which to rub 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



61 



the brush, to prevent so much color being applied as to 
make the edges of the stencil thick or ragged. 

The stencil plate should be frequently cleaned, and this 
work must be carefully done, or the small bars or points 
may be injured and the stencil ruined. 

Long stripes of any width may be run on, not as a car- 
riage striper would run them with a striping pencil, but 
by the use of a straight-edge and a flat, bristle pencil, 
known in the trade as "artists' pencils" (see Fig. 22). 




Fig. 22 shows a Chiselled Artist's Pencil. 

The practiced hand can draw a very correct stripe. This 
should not be attempted by the novice until by repeated 
practice he is certain of good results. 

A plaster cornice may sometimes be colored in tints to 
greatly improve it, and this work will be found quite easy, 
owing to the sharp edges it presents to form the bound- 
ary of the lines. 

The wall and ceiling having been completed, the paint- 
ing of windows and doors is now in order, and the reader 
may learn how such work is done by referring to Chapter 
V., in which the mixing of tints, etc., is fully explained. 



62 everybody's paint book. 

Paper-Hanging. 

It may be desirable to paper the side walls, and a few 
words on the hanging of paper will not be amiss, just 
here. Most wall-paper is provided with two margins, and 
the first thing in order is to cut from the right-hand side 
all the margin, leaving the left side to form the under-lap. 
The matching of figures must next be taken into account, 
particularly if it be a large figure, otherwise a waste 
would occur on each length cut off. A veiy little study 
will enable one to know just how to begin the cutting. 

Paste foe Hanging Paper. 

The paste for this purpose is best made of rye flour, 
but ordinary flour will do very well. Mix the flour with 
water to the consistency of milk, being particular to crush 
out every lump, or else strain the mixture through coarse 
muslin or a fine sieve; put it into an iron or copper ves- 
sel and set it over the fire to boil; stir constantly until it 
thickens and turns yellowish, then take it from the fire, 
and add cold water until the mass is about the consistency 
of cream. Allow it to become perfectly cold before using, 
for warm paste will penetrate the fibre of the paper too 
quickly. 

Now, having a long table or wide board several feet in 
length, lay upon it one of the cut pieces, back up, and 
quickly spread the paste evenly over every part with a 



everybody's paint book. 63 

large flat brush, similar to those used for kalsomining. The 
ends of the paper may be folded over, the pasted sides 
together, so that it can be lifted and carried to the wall 
without difficulty. Placing the top edge near the ceiling 
(a proceeding which need not be done in a particular 
manner, for the frieze or border will cover the ends of the 
paper at the top), gently unfold the paper and allow it to 
hang down; then with a soft cloth, a clothes brush, or a 
whisk broom smooth out and pat down all wrinkles, etc., 
until the paper lies smooth and in its proper place. The 
bottom end which abuts the base-board, may then be 
scribed off with the point of the shears, arid afterward 
cut to conform with any irregularity at that point. Where 
a dado is to be put on, the lower end of the paper may 
be left long enough to be covered by the paper forming 
the dado, which is in many cases at least two feet in 
width. The frieze or border is generally printed with 
from four to eight strips on one width of paper, and to 
cut these properly, the paper should first be cut in lengths 
of, say, six feet, then laying it upon the pasting-board or 
table, spread on the paste over all the paper. Now care- 
fully fold one end over to one-half the length of the 
paper, and then the other end; this brings the borders 
back to back, when they may be trimmed and cut, giving 
in this manner but one-half the work of cutting, and 
allowing the narrow strips to be handled easily. The bor- 
der being put on, the work is complete. 



6i everybody's paint book. 

Where flocked paper is to be hung, the edges or mar- 
gin on both sides must be cut off and the paper put up 
with the edges abutting — not lapped, — for the extra 
thickness would be plainly seen. Great care must be 
taken not to get any paste upon the surface of this kind 
of paper. 

"With these directions the economical housewife may 
prepare the walls of her home in a satisfactory manner. 
And we will now consider another kind of wall renova- 
tion, which will be found excellent where the walls are 
rough or cracked badly. 



CHAPTEE Vm. 

House Cleaning, Continued. 

Making Damask Walls. 

When the side walls of a room are in such, a roughened 
condition that much labor would be necessary to make 
them smooth, proceed as follows: 

First sweep down or otherwise dust off the wall. Then, 
with a stencil plate, either one purchased ready-cut, or 
cut by yourself, go over the wall stencilling the design on 
in geometrical lines thus: 

using for the paint a mixture of white-lead and car- 
riage-rubbing varnish to form a sticky composition. Be- 
fore the paint dries, throw over it some finely-sifted white 
sand. The sand will adhere to the paint, and if properly 
done, the figure will appear quite prominent or thick 
upon the surface of the wall. Complete the work in this 

(65) 



66 everybody's paint book. 

way, and allow all to dry perfectly hard, — say twenty-four 
hours. Then lightly dust off the loose Land, and proceed 
to paint the wall, over all, sand and smooth parts, with 
" dead " or " flat " paint as described in Chapter V., using 
any tint desired. A pale green gives a good effect. If 
one coat does not cover well, apply a second coat when 
the first is well dried, being sure to prepare the paint 




Fig. 23.— P att ken for Wall Decobation. 

according to directions given elsewhere, so that it will not 
dry with a gloss. 

This method of renovating an old wall is not only inex- 
pensive, but novel and durable. 

If it is not desired to go to the expense of paint for 
this kind of a wall, kalsomine will answer every purpose, 
and, in fact, many prefer it, as it holds color better. If 



everybody's paint book. 6T 

the wall is to be kalsomined, a coat of size must be given 
after the paint and sand are well dried, and directions for 
such work will be found in Chapter YH. 

Another Method. 
Clean the wall nicely, and spread upon it a coat of paint 
made of yellow ochre, and any cheap furniture varnish — 




Fig 24.— A Graining Comb. 

no oil, and but little, if any, turpentine. Go over but a 
small space, say two yards square, laying the paint as 
heavily as possible. Then prepare several dozen pieces of 
strong writing paper, cut uniformly to some particular 
pattern, say like Fig. 23, or any other geometrical figure 
that can be easily cut with a knife or shears. 

Lay the pieces of paper upon the fresh, sticky paint and 



68 



EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 



press thera smoothly. The figures should be put on in a 
similar manner to the plan previously described, and 
arranged regularly, as shown in Fig. 25, and the work 
continued until one side of the wall is done. Now, 
the paint being still fresh, or not yefc dry, take a coarse 
graining comb (see Fig. 24), and pass it over the paint in 
a diagonal direction, both ways, as shown, thus giving the 




Fig. 25.— Method of arranging Staho or Figures on Wall. 

appearance of the warp and woof of damask. When all is 
dry, either paint over all with flat color, or kalsomine it. 
With taste and judgment some very handsome effects 
may be produced by the damask, and to give the reader 
all the points regarding this work, I will describe a third 
plan of operations, viz. : 



everybody's paint book. 



69 



Still another Method. 

The -wall having been dusted off, lay out with a pattern 
and a soft black-lead pencil, figures, vines, flowers, or 
whatever fancy dictates, as shown in Fig. 26, making the 
lines strong in color so that they may be seen through the 
paint which is put over them. Then with some yellow 




Fig 26.— Design for Wall Decoration. 

ochre mixed with equal parts of boiled oil and varnish, to 
which is added a little melted beeswax, so that it has no 
body or covering power, paint over the wall, and proceed 
as before to comb it diagonally. 

When the combing is finished, and before the paint is 
dry, take a sharpened stick and go over the marks first 
made upon the wall inside the figure to obliterate on 



70 everybody's p^estt book. 

those parts all signs of combing. Continue thus over 
every part, and let all dry hard, when it may be painted 
in flat tints or kalsomined. This latter method gives more 
labor, but it is the nearest approach to damask hangings 
of any spoken of. 

A very pretty effect may be given a room by making 
the side walls smooth to within two and a half feet of 
the floor, then adding a wainscoting of the damask, put- 
ting a gilt moulding as the top-rail or dividing line be- 
tween the wall and wainscoting or dado. 

Whitewashing. 

One of the worst features of lime whitewash is the 
rubbing off, and it is therefore giving place to kalsomine ; 
but with a little care in the selection of good lime, and the 
addition of a quart of salt to five gallons of whitewash 
no rubbing off need be feared. Another remedy for rub- 
bing off, is molasses: one quart to five gallons of wash is 
generally sufficient. lime is preferable to kalsomine 
where the room needs disinfecting, and for stables and 
outhouses there is nothing better. 



CHAPTER IX. 

House-Cleaning, Continued. — Renovating Fuknitube. 

Renovating bedsteads, bureaus, chairs, and other furni- 
ture is one of the accessories to cleaning house, and should 
be well understood by those who aim at perfection and 
economy. 

Supposing the furniture of the parlor to be of hard 

wood, mahogany, black-walnut, etc., finished in oil, with 

no lustre, save here and there a small varnished panel, it 

is not our desire to change the appearance from that it 

possessed when new. The first step therefore must be to 

thoroughly cleanse each piece from grease, finger-marks, 

and dust, by a good washing with soap and water, and 

drying off well with clean rags. Then having at hand 

some boiled or raw linseed oil, pour it into a saucer or 

other flat dish, and dipping a woolen rag into the oil, 

rub it over every part of the " dead " wood, bearing on 

quite hard, and rubbing until the hand may be passed 

over it without soiling it. No perceptible amount of oil 

must be left on the surface. 

(71) 



72 everybody's paint book. 

The oil will restore the original appearance of the wood, 
but the small panels — if any — that are glossy must be 
varnished to restore their lustre. To do this nicely, pro- 
cure say a pint of ordinary furniture varnish, costing 
about thirty cents, and spread it plentifully — but not 
enough to run or flow into festoons — with a small varnish 
brush or sash tool, which may be purchased for from 
twenty-five to fifty cents, and which, with care, will last 
for several seasons. The varnish should be put on with- 
out adulteration of any kind, and be brushed or levelled 
down only so long as it appears limpid, for if worked 
too much, or until it has begun to thicken or " set," the 
panel will be streaked. It is a good plan, if convenient, 
to arrange the piece of furniture so that the parts to be 
varnished will He horizontally, to ensure against runs in 
the varnish. 

If the furniture was originally varnished, and still shows 
a gloss, or is scratched and made to appear white in spots, 
a different plan of renovating it must be pursued, viz. : 

Procure, say, a half pound of pidverized pumice-stone 
(costing about eight cents), and placing it in a shallow 
dish, wet it with clean water. Then, with a soft rag dipped 
into the pumice preparation, give the surface of the var- 
nish a good rubbing, until all gloss, dirt, grease, etc., is 
removed. Wash off all the powder, and dry the work 
well with either rags or a chamois-skin — the latter is best. 
Carved portions, or moldings and beads may be nicely 



everybody's paint book. 73 

rubbed "with a stiff brush clipped in the wetted pumice- 
stone. A tooth-brush will answer if no other is at hand. 

When the furniture has thus been cleaned, the varnish- 
ing is in order, and this may be done in the same manner 
as directed for panels above. Furniture varnish should 
dry hard in twenty-four hours. Carriage varnish is unfit 
for furniture, owing to its oily nature and consequent slow 
drying or hardening qualities. 

Care must be taken in applying the varnish not to get 
it on too heavy, or it will flow down from the projecting 
points, carvings, etc., and give the work a very bad ap- 
pearance. The knack is one quite easily learned, and one 
must not go at a job of varnishing in a tremulous or nerv- 
ous manner. When a portion of the work has been once 
gone over and "laid off" or finished, it should not be 
touched again with the brush. 

Imitation Black Ebony Furniture. 

Black ebony furniture is just now quite fashionable, 
and this is made by soaking the wood, generally maple 
and ash, in a solution of vinegar, iron- rust, acids, and 
other coloring substances, when fir^t it comes from the 
manufacturer, but it is my province to tell how black 
ebony can be imitated and old furniture be made to look 
like that emanating from the factory, and to all appear- 
ance quite new. The old or antique chairs, tables, etc., 
4 



74 everybody's paint book. 

of our forefathers may thus be modernized at trifling ex- 
pense if the following directions be followed : 

Take a chair for illustration. "We will begin by giving 
every part of it a thorough sand-papering with No. 1£ 
sand-paper — which is quite fine — (supposing that the 
chair had been painted or varnished when new) ; the 
sand-paper serving to clean as well as to smooth it on 
every part, for an ebony job must be smooth. Now, after 
a good " dusting off," it is ready for the coloring. 

Procure from the dealer, say, a one-pound can of 
" Ivory-black ground in japan," and after opening it care- 
fully, take out, say, one-half a teacupful of the color, 
stir it well with a stick, then add turpentine, stirring all 
the time, and adding little by little until the paint is 
smooth, uniformly liquid, and of the consistency of 
cream. A few drops, say a teaspoonful of furniture var- 
nish, will also improve the binding qualities of the paint, 
but it is not absolutely necessary. This mixture will dry 
hard in half an hour, and is superior in every respect to 
that paint usually sold in country stores, which is mixed 
and ground in boiled oil. Oil paint finds no place in the 
work of cleaning house. 

The black being ground extremely fine, will cover 
almost any colored ground thoroughly, and it may be 
applied with a bristle-brush, but a far better job can be 
made with a soft hair brush, and if the Camel's-Hair 
Brush (see Chapter m., Fig. 7) shown on page 16 be 



everybody's paint book. 75 

purchased, a less quantity of paint will be used, a smooth- 
er job be made, and greater ease be secured in covering 
the work. 

The paint should be spread on plentifully, and be just 
levelled down with the brush — no more ; it must not be 
rubbed, nor touched again after it has once been left. In 
one hour, the second coat may be applied, and this coat 
should consist of a mixture of one-half Ivory-black as it is 
taken from the original package, and one-half furniture 
varnish. This is called " color-and- varnish," and it not 
only helps to color the work, but it gives a slight lustre or 




Fig. 27.— Badger-Haik Flowing Bbush. 

gloss. This coat being stiff er than the previous one owing 
to the varnish, it can not well be put on with the camel's- 
hair brush, and therefore to make a good job, the "Bad- 
ger-Hair Flowing Brush " shown on this page (Fig. 27) 
should be used. These brushes are soft, yet sufficiently 
elastic to lay the " color-and-varnish " evenly. If one of 
these can not be easily procured, use a bristle varnish- 
brush. 



76 everybody's pawt book. 

" Color-and-varnish " should be laid on as heavy as pos- 
sible, and be well brushed around the corners to prevent 
runs. It should dry hard in twenty-four hours, when, in 
order to make the work look like ebony, the gloss must be 
rubbed off, and this is done by rubbing every part with a 
woolen rag dipped in pulverized pumice-stone and water 
prepared as previously described. Plenty of water should 
be used, and the rubbing continued until there is no spot 
which has a gloss. Care must be taken not to rub through 
on the sharp corners and edges; but if so, the spots may 
be retouched with " color-and-varnish," and when dry, 
rubbed again carefully. 

Gold stripes are frequently added to this class of work, 
and if considered desirable, procure a small bottle of 
" gold paint " (gold bronze mixed in quick-drying japan), 
and with a small pencil brush pass it over those parts re- 
quiring gold. Vermilion stripes may be substituted for the 
gold if desired, and a coat of furniture varnish will com- 
plete the job. In the following chapter the painting of 
the mantel, fire-board, etc., will be fully described. 

A very handsome effect can be produced by painting 
ordinary chairs with Yerinilion, mixed as described in 
Chapter V. on Mixing Paints. Light English Vermilion is 
preferable, but American Vermilion will do very well. 
The second coat of Vermilion should be prepared with 
furniture varnish, forming "color-and-varnish," in the 



everybody's paint book. 77 

manner just described for Ivory-black. If one has a taste 
for decoration, the rounds and back can be striped with 
black, using a striping-pencil and Ivory-black mixed with 
turpentine and Brown Japan. A coat of ordinary furni- 
ture varnish will finish the work. 



CHAPTER X. 

House Cleaning, Continued. — Painting and Maebling a 

Mantel-piece. 

Black mantels well varnished or glossy are fashionable 

in most country towns ; and to prepare such, the operator 

may follow the directions given in reference to painting 

black ebony furniture, leaving out, of course, the removal 

of the gloss. Black marble may be imitated thus: After 

the mantel has been painted black, as above, have at hand 

some white, green, orange, and red mixed separately with 

carriage-rubbing varnish, so that neither of them possess 

much body, or in other words, appear transparent; then 

with a feather dipped in the white, put in streaks or 

crooked lines running in all directions and connecting 

with thin, vapory patches here and there. Next, with a 

feather dipped in the green, run lines, at times parallel 

with the white, and again crossing them and mingling the 

green tints in the patches before alluded to. A very little 

orange and red may now be added, using a separate 

feather for each color. Now, having the colors all on, 

pa">s over all lightly with a dry dusting brush to soften 
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everybody's paint book. 79 

the lines and blend them with the black groundwork. 
When dry, give a coat of hard drying furniture varnish. 

For a white mantel, follow the directions given in Chap- 
ter V. for white painting and finishing with China gloss, 
which is zinc-white mixed with white demar varnish to 
the proper consistency for spreading. 

To make a White Marble Mantel. 

After the mantel is painted white as above, take a com- 
mon tallow candle, and holding the lighted end quite 
near the painted surface, allow the smoke to form figures 
upon it. Some very delicate tints and shades may thus 
be made, and these, if supplemented by a few judiciously 
made fine lines of black and pale green, will give a beauti- 
ful effect, and afford a very good imitation of white 
marble. 

For iron fire-boards, hearth irons, etc., the best black is 
"Locomotive Smoke-stack Japan," to be obtained of 
most dealers. It will burn and produce a disagreeable 
odor at first, but it soon wears away, and a beautiful 
glossy black will remain. 

To Renovate Zinc. 

The zinc which serves as a protector under the stove 
may be made to look like new, by washing it. with a di- 
luted solution of Muriatic Acid — say five cents' worth of 



80 everybody's palnt book. 

acid to one pint of clean water. Sapolio and other scour- 
ing materials can not be made to give the newness to the 
metal which the acid imparts, for they simply scratch 
the surface to brightness, while the acid acts upon every 
part without scratching or injuring the metal in the least. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Cleaning House, Continued. — Fixing- up the Bronze Work. 

There are many little things around the house that are 
made of metal and coated with bronze to imitate gold, 
silver, or real bronze, and which becoming tarnished, 
require re-coating ; but how this can be done is to most 
people a mystery. 

The chandelier, gas brackets, lamp-stands, clock and 
such like fittings, may be made to look like new, at a very 
trifling expense, if the following directions are strictly 
followed: 

Bronze powder is simply the metal or alloys, ground to 
a fine dust, by rolling, beating, cutting, and then mixed 
with honey, to form it into a mass. It is ground on mar- 
ble slabs in the same manner as paint. After the grinding 
is done, the honey is washed away, and the powder dried, 
forming what is known as " bronze." 

There are many varieties of bronze as well as -many 

colors, viz. : pale, deep, lemon, copper, fire, silver, orange, 

etc., but for ordinary work the medium shade of gold 

bronze is all that will be required. The prices range from 

4* (81) 



82 everybody's paint book. 

twenty-five cents to one dollar per ounce, and it is always 
best to buy the highest priced, for it will cover five times 
as much surface, being extremely fine, and will wear much 
longer than the cheap qualities. 

Bronze is applied both as a powder dusted over a size 
or mixed with size and put on the same as paint. A mix- 
ture of this kind may be purchased under the name of 
"gold paint," and it will be found quite handy by the 
housewife in fixing up; but if she be economically in- 
clined she will purchase the bronze powder and mix it 
with some japan-gold-size-dryer herself, thus saving 100 
per cent. 

The " size," or material on which to dust the bronze 
powder, may be ordinary furniture varnish or japan 
dryer. The article to be bronzed is first cleaned from 
dust and dirt. Then with a small brush or " sash-tool," 
costing from ten to twenty-five cents, the varnish is put 
on very sparingly, and well rubbed over every part. In a 
few moments it will be "tacky" or slightly sticky — not 
quite dry — and with a small piece of velvet or plush 
formed into a sort of pad or dauber dipped into the dry 
bronze powder, the simple rubbing over or dusting on, 
will cause the article to assume a beautiful metallic ap- 
pearance, and when dusted off the work is complete. 

It is a good plan on some work, such as chandeliers or 
gas brackets, to varnish over the bronze with "White 
French Shellac varnish," to enable one to wash them with 



everybody's paint book. 83 

soap and water when they become dirty; but varnish will 
take off in a certain degree that metallic brilliancy so 
much admired on bronzed work. 

Painting Iron Bailings. 

Bronzing may be done on iron railings, etc.; and while 
on the subject of bronze, etc., it will not be amiss to refer 
more particularly to that class of work. Iron railing 
should first be painted a deep bronze green. The green 
is made by mixing chrome yellow with lampblack to the 
desired color, with carriage-rubbing varnish and turpen- 
tine. Then, before the paint is dry, take the velvet dauber, 
and dipping it into the bronze rub it gently over the most 
prominent parts, or those which project from the surface, 
or the tips of the rods or spear heads, etc. 

To Beonze Statuettes oe Plasteb Casts. 

To make a statuette or plaster cast look like bronze: 
First, coat the plaster or dip it in a strong solution of 
starch, to prevent the size from striking in — or else coat 
it with size, two or three times. Then size, and bronze it 
as before directed. After the bronzing is done, take a 
short camel' s-hair pencil, and dipping it into a mixture of 
Paris green and japan dryer, coat the deepest hollows in 
the figure, blending the color off to the clear bronze on 
the outer edge. Then increase the depth of color in the 



84 everybody's paint book. 

deepest parts by adding a little black to the green and 
re-coating those parts. 

Silver bronze seldom retains its brilliancy long, turning 
as it does to a bluish copper color. 

Steam pipes or radiators are greatly improved by sizing 
and gold bronze, and there are many other fixtures about 
a house that may be made to look far handsomer by 
its use. 



CHAPTEE XH. 

Cleaning House, Continued. — The Kitchen. 

The parlor, sitting-room, and bed-chamber Laving been 
" put to rights," we must now look into the kitchen. Let 
us first consider the contents of the stock-room or pantry. 
Here we find several vessels of tin, of various shapes and 
sizes for holding bread, cake, sugar, tea, coffee, spices, etc. ; 
each of them was once nicely japanned and lettered, but 
they have become dingy, the japan is partly worn off by 
repeated use, and it is now our desire to make them look 
like new, and perhaps better. 

To do this, procure from the paint-store a one-quart 
can (the smallest quantity put up by the manufacturer) 
of Black Japan — such as is used by carriage-makers — 
using a brush, such as described and illustrated in Chap- 
ter IX. (the Badger-hair brush). Place the tins upon a 
table, in a comfortably warm p]ace, and lay on them a 
nice smooth coat of the japan. It is similar to varnish in 
its consistency and working, but it must be laid evenly 
and quickly, flowing on a goodly supply, and never touch- 
ing any part after it has once been laid off smooth. This 

(85) 



86 everybody's paint book. 

will give at one operation a jet-black, glossy surface, and 
should dry bard overnight. 

If a brown color is desired instead of black, add a very 
little vermilion (dry) to the japan. If an olive green, add 
a Httle chrome yellow. 

The plain color having been put on, and dry, the next 
in order is the ornamentation, and this is easily done with 
transfers or decalcomania. Transfers may be purchased 
at most any artists' stores or stationers. 

The beautiful scrap-book pictures now so plentiful may 
also form an active part in the ornamentation of such 
work. Simply varnish the japanned tin with furniture 
varnish, and when it is nearly dry — that is, sticky — lay on 
the neatly-cut-out pictures carefully, and press them into 
the varnish. These may be used in conjunction with the 
transfers and some excellent results will follow. 

Full directions for putting on the transfers are given in 
another part of this work, to which the reader is referred. 

Besides the tin vessels there is a nest of round, neatly 
made, and covered boxes, for holding salt, soda, saleratus, 
etc., and these will look well if painted and ornamented 
in a similar manner. 

Green is a favorite color, and such a color will give 
variety to the contents of the store-room. To make a 
bright green, take chrome green (dry) and mix it to a 
stiff paste with brown japan, then dilute with turpentine 
until it can be easily spread with the brush. 



everybody's paint book. 87 

Brown is another good color for boxes of this kind, to 
make which, take Indian red and mix it the same as 
directed for green, and then add dry lampblack until the 
desired shade is reached. The paint thus mixed will dry in 
ten minutes, dead or flat, and it must be varnished over to 
give a gloss. Furniture varnish is good enough for any 
work of this kind, and it should not cost over $1.50 or 
$2.00 per gallon. Transfer pictures may now be put on 
to improve the appearance of the boxes, or ' stencils such 
as shown in Fig. 21 may be cut out and made to form 
a border around the bottom and top edges, using gold 
bronze instead of paint. 

After the boxes have been varnished, and are very 
nearly dry, the stencil may be laid on, and the bronze 
carefully rubbed over it with a piece of velvet ; the var- 
nish being sticky enough to receive and hold the bronze, 
some very nice work can be done. 

Another simple manner of ornamentation for the boxes 
is, to cut a piece of wall-paper border, and fit it around 
the box edge; then before the paint is varnished, stick the 
border on with paste and let it dry ; then varnish over all 
paint and paper to help hold the paper in place as well as 
to give a lustre to the whole work. 

The sink and stationary wash-tubs are frequently in need 
of repainting owing to the constant use of soap and hot 
water thereabouts, and these may be kept in order with a 
very little exertion. If the color is a light one, such as 



88 everybody's paint book. 

oak graining, mix some -white-lead with turpentine, then 
add burnt sienna mixed with furniture varnish, until the 
color of deep cream ; paint the work with this, and let it 
dry, which should not be longer than overnight ; when 
dry, mix a little raw sienna with ale, and with a sponge 
rub over the paint a very thin coating, giving at the same 
time the necessary appearance of grain, knots, etc. The 
color being mixed in ale, it may be washed off, or thinned 
with water, repeatedly, until the desired grained appear- 
ance is obtained. Then as soon as it is dry, a coat of 
furniture varnish will bind all fast, so that water will not 
remove it. 

If graining is not in order, and a plain color is desired, 
there is none better than a medium shade of lead color ; 
to make which, mix white-lead with turpentine to a 
cream-like consistency, and add one-half a pint of car- 
riage-rubbing varnish to each quart of white paint, then 
drop in a little lampblack to form the desired color. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Painting Outbuildings, Fences, etc. 

In painting a new building the first thing to be done is 
to " kill the knots," that is, to coat each knot over with 
shellac varnish, to prevent the sap from striking through 
the paint to disfigure it. The commonest shellac varnish 
may be used for this purpose; and if the varnish can not 
be easily procured, it may be made by putting some gum 
shellac in alcohol. Set it in a warm place and shake it 
occasionally, until the gum is dissolved. 

The paint for a building should be mixed with oil prin- 
cipally. If white, take white-lead from the keg and thin 
it to a good working consistency with boiled linseed oil, 
then add one pint of Brown japan (a dryer) to each gallon 
of mixed paint. The japan not only hastens the drying 
of the paint, but it prevents the "crawling" or "wrink- 
ling up " of the paint after it has been spread. Some 
colors, such as Venetian red, Yellow ochre and mineral 
paint, are apt to separate from the oil and make streaked 
work, but the addition of Brown japan causes the paint to 
stay where it is put. 



90 EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 

Where an economical job is desired, a paint may be 
made from the following formula : 

Take of Yellow ochre 50 lbs. 

Sifted road dust, 100 lbs. 

Mix to a stiff paste with cheap paint oil (resin oil), and 
add soft soap until the mass is in a condition for spread- 
ing with a brush. The color will be a dark stone color. 
If red is preferred use Venetian red instead of ochre. 
Such paint will answer a good purpose on bams, sheds, etc. 

Fences may also be painted with the above paint, and 
it will be found extremely durable. 

Roofing, Etc. 
There is a great diversity of opinion regarding roofing 
— what constitutes the best roof ; how put on, and how 
kept in repair ; and although it is one of the accessories 
of painting, I shall only call attention here to one or two 
facts respecting roofing. The majority of roofs in cities 
are flat and covered with tin (some with asbestos, and 
others with felting, sand, gravel, and coal tar substitutes), 
showing that preference is given to tin for a flat roof ; 
but the tin roof must be well painted, and be kept painted. 

Painting a Tin Roof. 
To paint a tin roof, the following plan will be found to 
give good results : If a new roof, it is best to let it re- 
main for a few days or until a rain-storm or night dew has 
caused a slight rust of the metal ; or it may be immedi- 



everybody's paint book. 91 

ately clone if washed over with vinegar and allowed to 
dry. The paint known as "Grafton paint," "Mineral 
paint," "Fire-proof paint," and by a dozen other names, 
is a sort of earth or comminuted slate dug from mines 
in Indiana and Illinois. It comes in different colors, viz., 
gray or slate color, salmon, grayish red, dark red, etc. 
The average price is from 2 to 4 cts. per pound. 




'ifiilii 

Pig. 28 shows A Roofing Brush. 

This dry color is mixed with boiled oil, with a trifling 
amount of Brown japan to harden it, and applied with a 
brush made expressly for this work (see Fig. 28). One 
coat will not be sufficient for a good job ; but plenty of 
time must be given for the first coat to harden before the 
second is put over it. Two coats will make an excellent 
job. Care must be taken before any paint is put upon 



92 everybody's paikt book. 

such a roof that all signs of resin used in soldering be 
scraped off, otherwise the paint will chip off at those 
spots. 

If it is desired to make the tin roof cooler on account of 
being near the ceiling of rooms below, it may be painted 
with yellow ochre instead of the Grafton paint. The ochre 
being a lighter color, will not absorb the rays of the 
sun to the same degree. "White would be best, perhaps, 
but white-lead forms a very poor paint for metal roofs, 
and is also very expensive compared to those recommended. 

Tar and gravel roofs may be well enough for some, but 
the writer has no use for them. 

Shingles are best for peak roofs or inclines, and although 
we frequently see shingles painted after they are laid, it is 
a very bad proceeding, for the paint when dry forms a 
sort of dam for the water, which soaks just under the butt 
of the layer above, and holding the water there, the shin- 
gle is soon rotted away at that point, and leaking begins. 

How Shingles should be Painted. 
To make the best shingle roof, have a large pot filled 
with what is called paint oil (possibly made of fish oil and 
resin) heated just enough to bear the finger in it ; then dip 
the shingles in the warm oil and lay them out on the lawn 
or elsewhere to partially dry. When shingles thus pre- 
pared are laid upon the roof, water will not penetrate 
them nor cause them to warp and twist out of place. 
Slate roofs may be painted if desired, but shingles never. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The American Method of Carriage Painting. 

There is a plan of painting carriages which dispenses 
with the numerous coats of paint formerly put on to 
make a solid foundation, and one of the many fillers for 
wood is substituted. "When properly done, this method 
gives general satisfaction to both the builder and his cus- 
tomer. 

The wood fillers mentioned are liquids similar in ap- 
pearance to varnish (they are, possibly, gum and oil), and 
their office is to seal up the pores of the wood against the 
entrance either of moisture or the liquids from the paint 
put over them. 

Supposing that a new buggy is to be painted and the 
work is required to be done quickly, cheaply, and well. 
We begin say on Monday. 

Take the woodwork, (that is, body, wheels, bars, beds, etc.,) 
smooth and clean from the woodworker, and apply a coat 
of the wood filling with a brush, and immediately proceed 

to wipe off with a rag. Rub in all that will not readily 

(93) 



94 everybody's paint book. 

come off, leaving the wood apparently stained only. A 
sufficient quantity has after this operation gone into the 
pores of the wood to prevent the water used in setting 
the tires, and the oil, grease, and dirt of the smith-shop 
from entering, and the gear parts may be sent to the 
smith to be ironed. 

Tuesday. — The body being kept in the paint-shop, and 
having been given plenty of sun and air, or been left near 
the stove, is now ready for " rough-stuff " (a coarse paint 
designed to fill up all un evenness in the wood). This 
" rough-stuff " is generally made by mixing Grafton paint, 
or, as some call it, Mineral paint, with equal parts of car- 
riage-rubbing varnish and brown japan. Then thin with 
turpentine so as to spread nicely, and add a teaspoonful 
of raw linseed oil for first coat. 

This paint should be laid on as smoothly as possible, 
and care taken that the " rough-stuff " is not too thick, 
else brush-marks will be liable to show, even after the job 
is finished. No matter how well the work may be rubbed 
and levelled down, any streaks in the " rough-stuff " coat- 
ings will surely be seen in the finishing coat. " Rough- 
stuff " may be put on with common bristle brushes. 

Wednesday. — Putty up all imperfections in the body in 
the morning, and late in the afternoon the second coat of 
" rough-stuff " (with no oil added) may be applied. The 
putty used for this job may be made by a mixture of 
equal parts of rubbing varnish and japan, thickeued to 



everybody's paint book. 95 

the proper consistency with equal parts of dry lead and 
whiting. 

Thursday. — The gears being ironed, the body may now 
be given to the smith for hanging up. It is always best 
to have the body ironed before the rough-stuff is rubbed, 
for, if the smith happens to burn or otherwise injure the 
paint, it can be easily repaired; and there are few who 
can iron off a job without a " shop-mark " on some part. 
The third coat of "rough-stuff" may be given in the 
smith-shop late in the afternoon. 

Friday. — To-day the job is in the smith's hands, and we 
have time to note down a few timely remarks. It is sel- 
dom that we see a carriage gear " cleaned up " as it should 
be for the painter. The smith, so long as he gets the 
irons on and screwed up, seems to care for nothing more. 
We see clips drawn into the beds, nuts turned down into 
the rims, making a hole for the painter to putty up, and 
many other " actual deeds of carelessness " left for the 
painter to "smooth over." Can't we do better on this 
job ? The carriage being ironed now returns to the paint- 
shop, where it is filed and sand-papered until the whole is 
clean and smooth. The better the condition of the gears 
at this stage the easier it will be to make a good finish. 

Saturday. — The gears should now have a second coat of 
the wood filling (the first coat having done its mission, 
the coating now put on is virtually the first of the paint- 
ing). This coat may be put on* the same as the other — 



96 everybody's paint book. 

that is, wiped over with rags until only a thin film covers 
all. Bemember that a good wiping-off will hasten opera- 
tions, for the material will be ready for the next coat 
much sooner. A coat of "stain" (lampblack and japan 
made very thin with turpentine, to enable the rubber to 
see when he has made a level surface), may be put on late 
this afternoon, and all left to dry hard over Sunday. 

Monday. — The gears are now ready for putty, which 
should be made as before directed, but a little softer, so 
that open-grained places may be " glazed over." When 
this is done, take the body in hand and rub the surface with 
lumps of pumice-stone, sawed, filed, and shaped to con- 
form to the shape of the panels or mouldings of the body. 
Keep plenty of water on the work while rubbing, for if the 
stone is allowed to get dry it will be apt to scratch the sur- 
face. The pumice dirt should not be allowed to dry on 
the body, and a sponge should be in hand all the time to 
keep it clean. When the black stain is all rubbed off, 
you may be sure that the surface is level, providing the 
pumice lumps were of respectable size; if too small they 
might make hollows in the surface. 

Tuesday. — Putty up any imperfections in the gears, and 
smooth all down nicely with fine sand-paper. The putty 
being quick-drying, and there being but little used, a 
good dusting off prepares the gears for color (say black). 
This we will lay on as smoothly as possible, with a camel's- 
hair brush (see chapter on brushes). 



everybody's paint book. 97 

Wednesday. — The body being rubbed and well dried out, 
is now ready for color. A coat of lampblack will serve 
well for a foundation or ground coat for any dark color, 
and this, mixed with japan and turpentine, we apply with 
a camel's-hair brush. The gears are ready for the first 
coat of " color-and-varnish " (to make which, see page 
98), which may be laid on plentifully with a varnish 
brush. The " color-and-varnish " should be quite strong 
with color. Any good carriage-rubbing varnish will an- 
swer well for the " color-and-varnish." 

Thuesday. — This morning, a coat of ivory-black color 
(see for mixing, Chapter V.) may be put upon the 
body, after it has been well rubbed over with some half- 
worn No. 2^- sand-paper. In the afternoon, dust off 
lightly, and lay on a medium coat of black " color-and- 
varnish," using varnish brushes, and laying it as clean as 
possible. 

Feiday. — The gears should now be lightly rubbed with 
pumice-stone and water, and prepared for striping or 
ornamenting. Eastern builders make all their work quite 
plain, and would no doubt, in this case, stripe the gears 
with a single fine line of red or blue, or some simple 
color, while fashion in the West demands light colors and 
much ornamentation. The face of the spokes, the ends 
of the spring-bars and bolt-heads, would probably be 
gilded, or broad stripes take the place of the Eastern fine 
lines. 

5 



98 everybody's paint book. 

Saturday. — To-day, flat down the " color-and-varnish " 
on the body with pulverized pumice-stone and water. 
Do not rub too much. If, as you should have done, you 
have got a clean coat on, a very light rub will remove the 
gloss, and prepare the surface for a coat of Black Japan. 
"When the body is flatted, put on a coat of the japan, 
having, say, ten per cent, of finishing varnish added, to 
increase its flowing qualities and to make it more durable. 

Monday. — Give this day for the drying of the japan on 
the body, and the striping on the gears. The trimmer 
may take measurements for cushion, fall, carpet, etc., and 
it is also a good plan to have the shafts trimmed before 
the finishing coat is put on. 

Tuesday. — This will be a good day for putting on the 
final coat of varnish, using medium drying body varnish 
on the body, and gear varnish on the gears. Look to it 
that the heat and ventilation of the room is all that can 
be desired, and no trouble will follow. 

Wednesday. — Hang up the job ; black off bolt-heads 
and run the carnage into a warm room, or in the shade if 
in summer, to harden. 

A few Points of Value. 

Color-ant)- Varnish. — When about to make " color-and- 
varnish," the painter should be careful not to use oily 
color, for varnish will not readily assimilate with oil, and 
the consequence would be that the deviltries known as 



everybody's paint book. 99 

" silMng," " pitting," and " crawling," would appear in the 
coating before it became .dry. " Color - and - varnish " 
should be made by mixing quick color with the varnish, 
or better still, by mixing the dry pigment with the var- 
nish, and grind it in the paint-mill. "Where several pig- 
ments are employed to form a color this can not be done 
so well, and in that case use quick, or japan color — oil 
color never. 

General Rules. — 1st. Have the ground or surface to be 
painted, at the start, perfectly clean, smooth, and well 
dried. 2d. See that your colors are well ground and 
properly mixed. 3d. Do not mix much more or any less 
paint than is necessary for immediate use. 4th. Keep 
the paint well stirred while the work is going on. 5th. 
Have your paint of the proper thickness, and lay it on as 
evenly as possible. 6th. Do not apply a coat of paint 
until the preceding one is dry. 7th. Do not, if possible, 
employ a light color over a darker one. 8th. Do not add 
dryers to colors long before they are used. 9th. Avoid 
using an excess of dryers. "Enough is as good as a 
feast," should be the motto in this connection. 10th. 
Always keep dry pigments in a dry place, as dampness 
will affect the shade of color, and also their drying 
qualities. 

Varnishing. — When varnishing bodies that have small 
panels, it will be found best to flow on a medium heavy 
coat to several panels before attempting to lay it off or 



100 everybody's paint book. 

" dress it," else a greater amount of time will be neces- 

r 

sary to complete the work, and then it will not be done so 
well. Finishing varnish may be flowed all over a wheel 
before laying it off, providing the varnish is of the proper 
kind, and the room of the right temperature. 

The principal things to be looked after in varnishing, 
are the perfect cleanness of everything connected with 
the work, the room, cups, brushes, and even the clothing 
of the operator. Pour out the varnish (if for finishing) 
at least fifteen or twenty minutes before commencing to 
varnish. The varnish should be applied heavily, levelled 
by repeated brushings, and carefully examined during the 
operation to detect any foreign particles that may appear. 
A picker is used, made of quill or whalebone, sharpened 
to a point, for removing any small specks of dirt or lint. 
Having brushed on your varnish, let it stand a few mo- 
ments, when the bubbles will disappear and show the dirt 
remaining, which can be removed by the picker. The 
finishing strokes are then given very lightly, and when 
possible finish the strokes up and down. Do your varnish- 
ing in a bold, confident manner, and use the brush no 
more than is necessary to produce an even coat. 

Improving the Leather on Carriages. 

The best preparation in use for dressiug or refinishing 
old leather carriage tops and trimmings is known in the 
trade as Enamelled Leather Varnish or " Dressing." It 



everybody's paint book. 101 

is a thin, black substance like varnish, and may be applied 
to the leather with an ordinary paint brush. The leather 
should first be well washed with Castile soap and water, 
to remove grease and to soften it; then a single applica- 
tion of the " Dressing " will give the leather the appear- 
ance it had when new; and in half an hour it may be run 
out into the street. 

Care should be had in varnishing the cushions to pre- 
vent the " Dressing " from gathering around the buttons, 
for being in a mass it would not dry hard in a long time, 
and would possibly ruin a dress or other clothing. 

Painting an Old, Ceacked Carriage Body. 

The impracticability of effectually concealing the cracks 
in a painted surface by the apjxlication of putty or paint 
has been fully demonstrated by many of the best carriage- 
painters in the country, and yet there are those who be- 
lieve they can do such work successfully. There has been 
several " crack-fillers " or rough-stuffs put in the market 
which it was said would fill up the old cracks in a car- 
riage-body so that they would not again appear, but we 
have yet to see a job done with any of these nostrums 
that will not show cracks in time. 

The best method of repainting, is to remove the old 
paint by scraping, burning, or eating off with detergent, 
and then to paint again as if the job was new. Old cracks 



102 everybody's paint book. 

will make their appearance very shortly after the job is 
repainted. They can not be entirely hidden from sight. 

Touching Up and Varnishing a Buggy. 

The villager or farmer has frequent occasion to " do up " 
his buggy or family turnout ; for country roads, particu- 
larly in the spring, are extremely hard on a varnished sur- 
face. If he could do such work himself, he would no 
doubt be greatly pleased, as it would save him many dol- 
lars. The directions below, if carefully followed, will pro- 
duce an astonishing improvement in a dirty and dingy 
buggy or carriage. 

First, give the carriage a thorough washing from mud 
and dirt, and this nmst be well done around the bottom 
of axles, nuts, clips, etc., for the least dirt left there will 
impair the looks of the varnish. After washing, put pul- 
verized pumice-stone in a flat dish or saucer and wet it 
well with clean water. Then, with a woolen rag dipped 
in the mixture, give the body and gears a good rubbing, 
using plenty of pumice-stone and water, and bearing on 
lightly, being careful not to rub through the paint to the 
wood or iron on sharp edges. Do not let the pumice- 
stone dry on the job. A j>anel or small part should be 
done at a time, then washed off clean and dried well with 
a " shammy " (chamois-skin) ; another portion may then be 
taken in hand until the whole carriage looks clean and 
has a smooth egg-shell appearance. The " touching up " 



everybody's paint book. 103 

is now in order. And here is where a knowledge of colors 
is demanded. If the job be black, it will be easy to get 
that color at once, ready prepared. If it be some other 
color that is wanted, the reader is referred to the chapter 
on colors, and he may find therein a formula for mixing 
a nearly perfect match for the work in hand. A small 
part of the work should be varnished over to bring out 
the color, so that the matching color can be definitely set- 
tled upon. Mix the color, whatever it may be, with 
brown japan and thin with turpentine. With a small 
camel's-hair brush similar in shape to the one illustrated on 
page 16, Fig. 7, three-quarters of an inch wide, and cost- 
ing about twenty-five cents, touch over every spot that is 
bare or bruised, paint the edges of springs and tires, etc., 
and in a few minutes the paint will be dry enough to 
varnish over. 

In varnishing the carriage, begin by setting the axles 
on barrels or boxes, so that the wheels may turn, and 
commence varnishing the wheels. First lay a plentiful 
supply of " One Coat Coach " varnish on the spokes with a 
large oval varnish brush (see chapter on brushes). Lay 
off or spread the varnish with the same brush well wiped 
out on the edge of the cup, and clean out between the 
spokes with a varnish tool, or small brush. Next, do the 
hub and lay that off, then the inside of the rim between 
the spokes, and lastly the sides of the rim. Be careful 
about the ends of the spokes, that there are no runs left ; 



104 everybody's paint book. 

keep the wheel turning slowly while the other wheels are 
being done, until the Tarnish sets. Take off the wheels 
and set them aside against the wall while the under gear 
is being varnished. After this is done, take clean brushes, 
or thoroughly clean the ones in use by rinsing in turpen- 
tine, and go on to the body, beginning with the upper 
parts and working down to the bottom, so that no drop- 
pings from the brush will injure what has been done. 
The " laying off " of the varnish on the body is a very par- 
ticular piece of work, but as the amateur will not be apt 
to flow on so heavy a coat as the professional, there is lit- 
tle fear that he will have any runs or heavy flows in the 
job. Close up all doors and windows and leave the job to 
dry. 

The varnish best suited for such work is what is known 
as "Hard-drying Carriage varnish," costing $4.00 per 
gallon, for the gears, and " One Coat Coach " varnish, cost- 
ing $4.50 per gallon, for the body. Of course there are 
better varnishes, costing $6.00 per gallon, but the ones 
recommended will be as good as any one would require 
when the work is done as described. Ordinarily one and 
a half pints of varnish will cover both the gears and body 
of a buggy. 

To make an Old Carriage look like New. 

The carnage having been cleaned and rubbed down 
smooth with pumice-stone, touch up the bare places 



everybody's paint book. 105 

with a similar color to the ground, but the matching need 
not be so particularly done. Then take, say a pint of Black 
Japan — a sort of black varnish much used by carriage- 
makers — and put on a flowing coating, in the same man- 
ner as varnish. This will give you a jet-black and glossy 
surface ; but as it would not be durable it must be var- 
nished over with good " One Coat Coach " varnish. "When 
the japan is dry, rub the gloss off (only) with pumice- 
stone and water, as before, then apply a coat of "One 
Coat Coach " varnish. 

If it is desired to make a brown, add a little vermilion 
or other red to the japan. If olive-green, add a little 
yellow and a drop or two of red, and use the same as if it 
were clear japan, the color not affecting it in the least. 
The beauty in the use of Black Japan is, that it being a 
sort of varnish and very elastic, the under surface will not 
cause it to crack, as it would do, perhaps, if dead quick 
color was put over it. 

5* 



CHAPTER XV. 

Painting a Farm Wagon. 

There are many days during the year that outdoor 
work can not be done, owing to inclement weather, and 
such days could be profitably spent in painting up the 
wagons used on the farm. Many, no doubt, would be 
glad to do this did they know just how to mix the paint 
and apply it. Almost any one can put on the material if 
it is properly mixed. 

The first thing in order is to run the wagon into some 
convenient place, the wagon-house, barn or shed, and to 
set the axles upon barrels or blockings, so that the wheels 
can be turned, or taken off — which should be done so that 
the body can be got at easily. Next, a thorough clean- 
ing of all grease from the axles, hubs and fifth wheel, and 
the sand and dirt from all parts is in order. The best 
way to prepare the wood and iron is to sand-paper every 
part well with No. 3 sand-paper. Cut it down smooth; 
don't go over the work as if it was of no consequence, for 
if paint be put over dirt you may rest assured that it will 

not stay very long. 
(10G) 



everybody's paint book. 107 

If the wagon is a platform spring, you may take the 
nut off the king-bolt and remove the front gear, setting 
the top fifth wheel on a barrel. If it be a bolster wagon, 
the body may be taken off and set up separate. The 
sand-papering done, a thorough dusting should be given, 
when the painting of the work may be begun. 

The colors for a farm wagon may be chosen from the 
following list, viz. : 

Style No. 1. Body, chrome green, or Milori green. Gears, 
cream color. Mix the green with Brown japan to a stiff 
mush, then add raw linseed oil until it is of a consist- 
ency to spread nicely with the brush ; but do not put too 
much oil in the paint. A little turpentine may be added 
if the paint is too stiff or gummy. The gears may have 
more oil, for they receive the hardest usage. Mix white- 
lead with oil thin enough to use, then add chrome yellow 
mixed in japan until the desired shade of cream is 
reached. A few drops of red will improve the color. 
Now add one gill of Brown japan to a quart of paint, and 
thin if necessary with turpentine. 

Style No. 2. Body, Indian red, mixed the same as di- 
rected for the green of No. 1. Gears, vermilion, mixed 
as follows: 

Take American vermilion and mix it with Brown japan 
and raw oil equal parts to the proper consistency for 
spreading. Now add whiting to the mixture until it is of 
a thick, mush-like consistency; then thin with turpentine. 



108 everybody's paint book. 

The whiting prevents the vermilion, which is quite heavy, 
from settling to the bottom of the cup, and it also makes 
the paint spread easier. The paint should be put on as 
quickly as possible, for it is apt to roll up into streaks if 
this is not done. 

Style No. 3. Body, deep English vermilion. Mix for a 
first or ground coat white-lead and American vermilion 
to form a pink, with raw oil and japan equal parts, and 
thin with turpentine. When the ground coat is dry, give 
it a light sand-papering, and apply a coat of the vermihon 
color, mixed with carriage-rubbing varnish to a thick 
mush, and thinned with turpentine. Vermihon should be 
pat on with a badger-hair brush (see chapter on brushes) 
where economy is studied, for such a brush will enable 
the workman to lay a solid coating very thin, while a 
bristle brush will not do so. 

The Gears, of a red body, may be cream color, brown 
or red (American vermilion). 

Olive green is a cheap and a very good color, for either 
body or gears. It is made of lampblack, chrome yellow, 
and red. 

Sienna and white also forms a nice salmon color and 
one that will wear well. But the best color of all, we 
think, is brown. Take Indian red and add lampblack to 
form the color, and mix it as described for green in Xo. 1. 

The colors chosen, lay them on as evenly as possible, 
being careful to wipe the brush around every bolt-head 



everybody's paint book. 109 

and nut, and it is well to paint the under part of the 
gears. Though not seen, painting will prevent decay, and 
the trouble will be well repaid in wear. 

If striping is to be done, now is the time for it, if the 
paint be well dried; after which, lay on a heavy coat of 
wagon varnish, not black, sticky furniture varnish, but a 
good article, costing perhaps $3.00 per gallon. A quart 
of varnish ought to be sufficient for the job. 

If the wagon be a new one, and never before painted, 
the wood and iron must first be primed. Take white-lead 
and color it with lampblack to a clean lead color (if the 
color is to be a dark one), or leave the lead uncolored if a 
light color is to be used over it. Mix it with raw linseed 
oil, and add one gill of Brown japan to each quart of 
paint, then spread it as smoothly as possible. If too 
thick add turpentine, but not too much. 

Ornamental work on both body and gears may be nice- 
ly done either by the use of decalcomania or transfers, 
which may be purchased from dealers in painters' sup- 
plies, or direct from the manufacturers. A beautiful 
scroll and landscape for the sides of an omnibus or 
wagon (consisting of an oval centre and six parts of 
scroll, which can be put either in a straight line, or com- 
bined to fit any curve ; 14 inches wide and 92 inches in 
length), will cost but $7.50. Scrolls 18 or 20 inches long, 
in gold and colors, are now no rarity, and when well ap- 
plied to a job give elegance at a trifling expense. Large 



110 everybody's paint book. 

transfers are more particularly referred to, and their use 
is advised where such designs can not easily be drawn, 
because they are not so likely to be known as transfers, 
owing to their size and beautiful workmanship. They 
are, indeed, very different from the ornaments such as 
every little school-boy had at one time stuck on every- 
thing both at home and at school 

A transfer ornament may be so changed in appearance 
that it would never be known as such, by a few touches 




4 






Fig. 29.— Showing how Stencils are Made. 

of the pencil, the slight addition occupying but little time. 
Stencilling is another method by which a wagon may be 
ornamented, and when the workman is not capable of 
making a fair job of striping, he may complete the job 
by stencilling. 

The accompanying engravings (Fig. 29) will give the stu- 
dent a fair idea of how stencils are made, i. e., more par- 
ticularly the bars which hold the pattern together. To 



everybody's paint book. Ill 

make a stencil for this work proceed as follows : Procure 
some thin hard calendered pasteboard — that known as 
" printers' press-packing " being best — of a leather color, 
and very strong in fibre, and draw upon it any desired 
pattern. Lay the pasteboard upon a piece of glass, and 
cut out the figures, leaving bars to hold the parts togeth- 
er. "When cut, coat the pattern over with shellac varnish 
to prevent the paper from absorbing the oils of the paint. 
For small patterns, a good quality of writing paper will 
answer the purpose well enough. 




Fig. 30.— A Stencil Brush. 

These patterns when cut should be kept in a covered 
box to preserve them, for they may be used many times. 

The brush for stencilling is a short stiff bristle or hair 
brush, and in order that no mistake may be made in its 
selection, it is shown in Fig. 30 of the illustrations. 

If one of these can not be easily procured, a sash tool 
(Fig. 3, page 14) may be cut square across in the mid- 
dle, making a very good substitute for the real article. 
A piece of pasteboard or soft pine should be used to rub 
the color out on, so that the brush may not be too heavily 



112 everybody's paint book. 

charged before putting it on to the stencil. Borders 
corners, or centre-pieces may thus be put on in oil col- 
ors very quickly and well after a little practice, and then 
be varnished over the same as any other ornamental 
painting. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Gilding, Bronzing, Silvering, and Lacquering. 

Although the laying of gold leaf and bronze has 
already been mentioned, the subject is of sufficient im- 
portance to give a more complete description of the four 
branches of trade named above, which seem to belong to 
one family. It does not seem necessary to explain the 
process of manufacturing gold leaf or bronze, any fur- 
ther than to give readers an idea of what they are about 
to use, and we will only say that gold leaf is the purest 
of the foliated metals, which, owing to its ductility, may 
be beaten so thin that one ounce will make 1,600 leaves, 
covering a surface, if laid together, of 105 square feet. 
Gold leaf is alloyed with copper and silver — not so much 
to cheapen it as to change its color — copper deepening it 
or giving it a reddish hue, and silver lightening it or 
giving a pale yellowish hue. Consequently we have three 
grades, viz.: light or lemon gold, medium and deep; the 
latter being considered by most painters the best for 
wagon or carriage work. 

Silver leaf is fast becoming obsolete, owing to the dis- 

(113) 



114 everybody's paint book. 

covery of aluminum leaf and nickel leaf, which do not 
tarnish like silver. Nickel leaf is beaten out very nearly 
as thin as gold leaf, and is now coming into general use. 

Dutch metal is a very inferior sort of foliated alloy, 
and only fit for theatrical scenery and other like uses. 

Bronze is a finely comminuted metal or metallic dust, 
made of gold, silver, and alloys, by grinding the metals 
on porphyry stones, while mixed with honey to form a 
sort of paste. "When the grinding is completed, the mass 
is washed in several waters until %he honey is removed, 
then the powder is dried on shallow pans. There are 
many colored bronzes, viz. : gold, rich gold, lemon, orange, 
copper, carmine, fire, dark and light gold, crimson, violet, 
brown, lilac, silver, white, light and dark green, with which 
an ingenious workman may make very handsome orna- 
mental work; but, as a general thing, the colored bronzes 
tarnish far too quickly. 

The ground of either paint or varnish must first be 
prepared to receive the leaf or bronze, otherwise it would 
adhere to every part of the work, and this is done in 
several ways. 

First, and probably the best, is to cover the ground 
with fine dust from a "pounce-bag," which is made by 
tying up in a piece of coarse niuslin or woolen rag some 
dry pigment, whiting being generally the best. 

Second, by washing the surface over with the white of 
eggs, and allowing it to dry before laying on the size. 



everybody's paint book. 115 

Third, by cutting a potato in halves, and rubbing the 
freshly-cut surface over the work, which, when dry, gives 
a thin film of potato starch. 

Fourth, by rubbing the work over with whiting mixed 
with water, and allowing it to dry. Either of these pre- 
ventives of sticking may be resorted to with good results 
on painted work. When the ground is prepared, the 
preparation of the size is in order, and the following 
formulas will be found excellent: 

For quick-size to dry tacky — that is, very sticky or ad- 
hesive — mix equal parts of carriage-rubbing varnish and 
brown japan together. 

For size to dry tacky in five hours, mix two parts best 
carriage-finishing varnish with one part japan. 

For size to dry in twelve hours or overnight, mix equal 
parts light permanent wood-fining with brown japan. 

For extra jobs, purchase Harland's English gold size. 
For still better, that is, more durable work, take boiled 
linseed oil, and putting it in a shallow dish, set it on fire, 
and allow it to burn a few minutes, then cover the dish to 
extinguish the flames; add to this thickened or fat oil, 
sufficient brown japan to cause it to dry in the time de- 
sired, which may be determined by a little practice. 

Gilding is well known to take its brilliancy, or imitation 
burnish, from the surface and sizing over which it is laid. 

Gilding on plate-glass has more brilliancy than the same 
quality of gilding upon common sheet-glass; and gilding 



116 everybody's paent book. 

upon a finely-prepared surface, and over the most bril- 
liant and glossy size is equally superior to that done over 
a poor surface and poor sizing. To produce good work, 
therefore, the surface must be smooth, and the sizing one 
that will flow smoothly and without fat edges. The for- 
mulas given above are as applicable for silver or nickel 
leaf, and for the various bronzes, as for gold leaf ; but it 
should be borne in mind that sizing on which bronze is 
to be put must be much drier or " tackier " than that for 
leaf, otherwise the fine powder is apt to penetrate the size, 
or settle and become darkened or devoid of brilliancy. 

Gilding Caeved Woke. 

For gilding carved work or on glass, it is necessary to 
use a " cushion " or partly-covered palette on which to 
spread a leaf of gold for cutting the same to the desired 
size or shape; a smooth-edged or dull " gold-knife " for 
cutting with, and a " tip " with which the pieces are lifted 
from the cushion and deposited upon the work. 

The "tip" (shown in Fig. 31) consists of two thick- 
nesses of cardboard, between which the ends of a thin 
layer of camel's-hair is glued. It is a very useful im- 
plement in gilding on glass, as it is impossible to gild 
glass if the hand or book touches it. For striping and 
other fancy work on plain surfaces, gilding may be done 
directly from the book. Hold the book of gold leaf in 
the left hand, and with the forefinger of the right hand, 



EVERYBODY S PATNT BOOK. 



117 



lift the first paper leaf, leaving the gold on the opposite 
side; then, holding the book close to the work, with its 
front edge pointing downward or toward the bottom of 
the letter or ornament, lightly touch the size, and roll the 
book upward, pressing lightly upon the back of the book 




Fig. 31 BEPEESENTS A GlLDEB'S Tip FOB LlPTING GOLD LEAP. 

with the side of the forefinger, until the top edge of the 
sizing is reached, or the whole leaf laid on; repeat this 
till the whole of the sizing is covered, then wipe it over 
gently with a bunch of cotton. 

Another plan is to first cut off the back of the book so 
that each leaf is separate, then, lifting the first paper leaf, 



118 everybody's paint book:. 

lay it upon a smooth surface and draw a camel's-hair 
brush filled with turpentine over it; return it to its place 
and the gold will be found to adhere closely to it; lay this 
leaf aside and proceed with the other leaves in the same 
manner; then, holding the book as before described, lay 
the leaf on to the sizing. The turpentine will cause the 
leaf to adhere to the paper so that any part of the work 
not covered with sizing will not remove it, and thereby 
less waste will occur. This is a good plan where the 
work is to be done in a windy situation. Another plan is 
to cut the back of the book as before, and to nib very 
lightly a piece of paraffine candle or a piece of white 
beeswax over the paper; after the gold has thus been 
fastened to the paper the book may be cut to any desired 
size, and as the gold will adhere to the waxed paper until 
it touches the size, thus a very trifling waste will be made. 

The refuse gold and the cotton with which it is cleaned 
off should be carefully saved, as it is valuable and can be 
sold to any gold-beater. The foregoing rules apply to all 
leaf, but the Dutch metal and nickel are not worth the 
trouble of saving. 

Bronze, being a fine powder, must be treated differently. 
The sizing being in readiness to receive it, take a piece of 
plush, velvet, or chamois-skin, and folding it into a small 
wad or ball, dip it into the bronze powder and gently rub 
it on to the sizing; afterward clean off the surplus metal 
with a bunch of cotton. For carved work a soft camel's- 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



119 



hair brush may be used to apply the bronze. Silver and 
nickel leaf is frequently made to look like gold by simply 
flowing over it a lacquer. Most of the gilt frames we see 
are done by this process. A formula for the lacquer I 
give below : 



Gamboge ... 3 parts. 

Mastic 4 " 

Dragon's blood 1.5 " 
Saffron 1 " 



Sandarac. ... 4 parts. 

Shellac 20 " 

Spirit of wine. 100 " 



However, it may be far less trouble to procure the lac- 
quer already made from the picture-frame manufacturer, 
and this is advised, to make certain of good results. 



CHAPTEE XVTL 

Imitation Ground Glass. 

To make imitation ground glass that steam will not 
destroy, put a piece of common window putty in muslin, 
twist the fabric tight, and tie it into the shape of a pad ; 
clean the glass first, and then j>at it over with the pad. 
The putty will exude sufficiently through the muslin to 
render the stain opaque. Let it dry hard, and then var- 
nish with white damar varnish. If a pattern is required, 
cut out the figure in paper and stick it to the glass lightly 
with gum, then press the pad or dauber over it ; when all 
is dry, remove the paper figures and varnish to make the 
figures slightly opaque. 

Another plan is to stipple — that is, strike the ends of 
the brush against the glass, with a very thin white-lead 
paint mixed with varnish principally. 

Blackboard Paint. 

One quart of shellac dissolved in alcohol ; three ounces 
pulverized pumice-stone ; two ounces pulverized rotten- 
stone, four ounces lampblack ; mix the last three ingre- 
dients together, moisten a portion at a time with a little of 
(120) 



everybody's pahjt book. 121 

the shellac and alcohol, grind as thoroughly as possible 
with a knife or spatula ; after which pour in the remainder 
of the alcohol, stirring often to prevent settling. One 
quart will furnish two coats for eighty square feet of 
blackboard not previously painted. The preparation dries 
quickly, and the board may be used within an hour if 
necessary. No oil should be used. 

Staining Oae-geaining. 

If it be desired to change a piece of oak-grained work, 
as in house painting, to a black-walnut color, take the 
Enamelled Leather Dressing — before spoken of for leather 
— and apply an even though thin coating over the oak- 
grain, which will stain it a beautiful black-walnut color, 
and require no further attention, for the " Dressing " or 
varnish acts as a stain and gives a good gloss at the same 
time. 

Mahogany Stain. 

To stain black-walnut, or any dark-colored woods, a 
mahogany color, mix half an ounce of dragon's blood with 
two ounces of good alcohol, and shake occasionally. When 
dissolved, put as much of this stain into alcohol as will 
make the wood the color desired, and go over with a 
brush. 

For light-colored woods, such as pine, beach, etc., add a 
little burnt umber to the above stain. 
6 



122 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK. 



Rosewood Stain. 
To stain in imitation of rosewood, apply to any light- 
colored wood a coat of asphaltum. thinned with turpen- 
tine, and when dry, stain with dragon's blood. There 
will be no grain — merely the color. If a grain is desired, 
mix lampblack with stale beer and with a sponge mako 




Pig. 32 SH0T7S Method of Latino Out an Oyal or Ellipse. 



the black streaks or grain, 
varnish. 



Then finish with furniture 



Laying Out an Oval or Ellipse. 

It is frequently the case that the painter is called upon 
to lay out an oval, or, more properly, an "ellipse"; and 
not knowing the simple rule by which his lines may be 
drawn, he goes to work with compasses, etc., and if he 
strikes anything approaching his ideas of an oval, after a 



everybody's paint book. 123 

dozen or more lines are drawn, he is content, but in most 
cases his lines are sadly " out of true," and he becomes the 
laughing-stock of those who have an eye for correct forms. 
To enable any one to lay out a perfect oval, any desired size, 
the following directions should be observed : Supposing 
that it is desired to make an oval ten inches long and six 
inches wide. First draw a horizontal line, as shown at 
N, N, in the drawing, and cross it with a perpendicular 
line H, H. Now, with a rule measure from the centre or 
intersection of the lines at M, five inches each way, on 
line N, and mark the distance ; next, measure three 
inches each way from the centre on line H, and mark that, 
which gives the exact space that the oval must fill. Next, 
take the distance between the centre M, and the mark on 
line N, which is five inches, and placing one leg of the 
dividers on the mark on line H, turn the other leg until it 
strikes line N, on either side, making the points 0, O, in 
diagram. Now, stick a pin in the two spots thus made, 
O, O, and another pin in spot H, and tie a string around 
the pins quite tight. Next remove the pin from H, and 
in its stead place the point of a lead-pencil, and keeping 
the string taut move the pencil along. You will find that 
the string directs the course of the pencil point, and the 
result will be a perfectly-drawn ellipse. If the oval is to 
be long and narrow, or otherwise, it makes no difference, 
it will be a perfect oval, and the measurements on lines 
H and N will give the proper boundary. As a time-saver, 



124 everybody's paint book. 

as well as for correctness, this method can not be excelled 
by any geometrical drawings with instruments. 

To Lay Out a Star. 

The star pattern is another useful and oft-called-for 
design, and, although it may seem strange to some that 
there are hundreds of mechanics who do not know how to 
lay out a star, it is nevertheless a fact. Proceed at follows : 
First, draw a circle with the compasses to the size you wish 
the star to be, and, if a nve-j>ointed star, set off on the cir- 
cle line five points at equal distances, then simply draw a 
hue from point to point across the plane. For a six-pointed 
star, the compasses, when set to form the circle, will be ex- 
actly right to mark the six points, and lines drawn as be- 
fore mentioned will give the desired result. A star may be 
drawn having any number of points, but it is seldom that 
more than five are used. 

To make a Drawing Uniform. 

It is sometimes necessary to make a drawing uniform 
on each side of the centre, as, for example, the drawing of 
a vase, an ornamented column, a scroll, etc., and where 
this can not be done by a free-hand, the following plan 
may be resorted to : Take a sheet of paper, and fold it at 
its centre, then with a soft lead-pencil draw one-half the 
design, allowing the fold of the paper to form the centre. 
When this is done, reverse the fold ; that is, fold the pa- 



everybody's paint book. 125 

per with the pencil-marks inside, and laying it on some 
hard surface, rub the back of the drawing with an ivory 
paper-cutter, or other smooth instrument until the lines 
are plainly seen on the clean paper. Open out the paper, 
and the whole design will be found faintly outlined, and 
by simply following the lines it may be completed. 

Another plan of copying is to take some soft thin paper 
and rub it over with lampblack and tallow until it is well 
saturated, then wipe off all that will readily come off with 
a soft rag. By laying this under a drawing, upon clean 
paper, and following the lines with a hard ivory or bone 
point, the black will be forced from the copying-paper, 
and a good copy result. 

Copying with Sensitized Paper. 

Sensitized paper has of late been put in market, by 
which accurate copies of a drawing may be made by sim- 
ply laying the drawing upon the prepared paper and ex- 
posing it to sunlight as in the case of a photographic neg- 
ative. The instructions given by the manufacturers of 
this sensitized paper may not be amiss just here : 

1. Provide a flat board as large as the tracing to be 
copied. 

2. Lay on this board two or three thicknesses of com- 
mon blanket, or its equivalent, to give a slightly yielding 
backing for the paper. 



126 everybody's paint book. 

3. Lay on the blanket the prepared paper with the sen- 
sitive side uppermost. 

4. Lay on this paper the tracing, smoothing it out as 
perfectly as possible. 

5. Lay on the tracing a plate of clear glass, which 
should be heavy enough to press the tracing close down 
to the paper. 

6. Expose the whole to a clear sunlight by pushing it 
out on a shelf from a window from four to six minutes; 
if no sunlight can be had the exposure must be longer. 

7. Remove the prepared paper and wash it for one or 
two minutes in clear water and hang it up to dry. This 
produces a white-lined drawing on a blue ground, and it 
will be found excellent for some work. The paper comes 
in tubes, secured from the light, and it must be kept in 
the dark as much as possible before use. 

To make Tracing Paper. 

Tracing paper may be made by saturating some thin 
paper with oil, or grease, or with turpentine; the latter 
being excellent where the copy is to be on clean paper, 
for the turpentine will evaporate and leave the paper quite 
clean. 



CHAPTEE XVIII. 

Making Putty. 

Putty foe Windows. 
Mix whiting with boiled linseed oil to a stiff dough, and 
work it or knead it as a baker does his bread until it is of 
the proper consistency and is free from lumps. 

Putty for Plate-glass in Windows, Wagons, ok Hearses. 

Take a piece of plush or velvet and draw out the warp, 
leaving a fine flocking (short threads); mix this flockiug 
with equal parts of whiting and dry white-lead in brown 
japan and carriage-rubbing varnish equal parts, and knead 
all into a stiff dough. The short threads serve the same 
purpose as hair mixed in plaster by the mason, binding 
the particles together and effectually preventing chipping 
or breaking out of small pieces. The large glasses in 
hearses should be allowed to rest on a rubber strip, and 
then be puttied in place with putty made as above in con- 
nection with a small strip of wood screwed solidly to the 

frame. 

(127) 



128 everybody's paint book. 

Putty foe Farm-Wagons and Machines. 

Mix whiting to a stiff dough with brown japan ; then 
add one-third in bulk of white-lead ground in oil ; knead 
and work the mass smooth, adding whiting if necessary to 
thicken it. 

Putty for Fine Carriage "Work. 

Mis equal parts of dry white-lead and whiting in equal 
parts of carriage - rubbing varnish and brown japan. 
Pound the mass into a stiff dough with a wooden mallet, 
using whiting to thicken if necessary. 

Keep all putty in water when not in use, to prevent it 
from drying hard. 

To Soften Old Putty. 

Wash it over with a strong solution of potash or sal- 
soda and lime. 



CHAPTEE XIX. 

Touching up Household Akticles. 

There are a hundred and one little things about a house 
that may be improved in appearance by a slight rub over 
•with varnish. The furniture, in most cases, is oiled and 
polished. The stair-cloth and hall or kitchen oil-cloth 
flooring may be varnished over at night and be dry for 
use the following day, but the knowledge of just how such 
work is to be done prevents many from attempting it. 
Directions for varnishing many household articles have 
already been given, but there is yet opportunity for going 
into more minute details. 

Varnishing Floor Oil-cloth. 

The varnish best suited for a floor-cloth is known in the 
trade as "No. 1 Furniture." It dries hard and quickly, 
and is not so readily removed by the repeated washings 
of soap and water. This varnish should cost about $2.00 
per gallon, and it may be kept bottled so that at intervals 
the cloth may receive a coating and thus be kept bright 
and clean. It is hardly necessary to explain that before 
6* (129) 



130 everybody's paint book. 

varnishing, the oil-cloth must be washed clean. It is "bet- 
ter to use no soap in washing or at least but a little, be- 
cause strong soap will remove the coloring. 

Stencilling. 

The figures in a floor-cloth may be brightened up by 
the stencil process if need be, and to do this take a picco 
of thin paper and copy the figure originally on the cloth, 
then lay the pattern thus obtained upon some thick paper 
and cut it out (see page 59 for directions about making 
stencils). After the new paint has been put on, and this 
will probably not be necessary upon every square, the 
varnishing will complete operations. 

Stair-cloths may have the centre stripe, where most 
worn, painted with a plain color, say dark brown, leaving 
the original edge-stripe, and a very nice job be made of 
it. See chapter on Mixing Colors for method of preparing 
paint for this purpose. 

Painting States. 

The stairs may be painted either in full, or on each 
side, say eight inches from the edge, with yellow ochre or 
brown, but we would not advise varnishing any paint upon 
floors. A little carriage-rubbing varnish may be added 
to the paint to give it a slight gloss, and the reader will 
find full directions elsewhere in these pages for floor 
painting. 



everybody's paestt book. 131 

Baluster Rails. 
A banister or baluster rail should not be varnished. It 
shxrald be rubbed well for several nights with boiled lin- 
seed oil, leaving on the wood a good supply of the oil ; 
then in the morning rub off all that has not soaked in. A 
week's work will produce something in the way of a polish 
that can be produced in no other way. The newel post 
and banisters may be varnished with No. 1 Furniture 
varnish, or oiled, as desired. 

Varnishing the Front Door. 

The front door of a dwelling, if of hard wood or grained, 
is one of the most difficult things to be kept in repair, 
that is, if the occupant is anxious to have it look well at 
all times. Furniture varnish will not answer the purpose 
for a front door, for being exposed to the elements, far 
more even than a carriage, it requires the best varnish. 
The hot sun of summer is liable to cause blistering, while 
the cold of winter, with sleet and rain, causes the surface 
to crack. A good plan is to fill the grain of the wood, if 
it be hard wood, with the best carriage-rubbing varnish, 
then apply Wearing body varnish (the best carriage-fin- 
ishing) costing at least $6.00 per gallon. Great care 
should also be taken not to dilute the varnish with oil or 
turpentine, as these would impair its durability. 

" Hard oil finish " has been recommended for outside 
doors, but, being simply a resin varnish, it can not be said 



132 everybody's paint book. 

to be durable. This " bard oil finish " may answer well 
in place of the No. 1 Furniture varnish before spoken of 
for unexposed work, but the writer will not warrant it for 
front doors. 

To varnish a front door properly : The old varnish 
should first be rubbed with pulverized pumice-stone and 
water until every part is clean and smooth. A thorough 
washing is next in order to remove any of the pumice 
powder that may remain in the creases of mouldings or in 
corners, and where a chamois-skin is at hand, it should be 
used. Otherwise, clean rags will be found excellent in 
drying the surface. When this has been done, and a 
thorough dusting off been given, the operator should pour 
into a clean cup or other vessel, some of the varnish (best 
carriage-finishing) to be applied, and with a flat or an 
oval varnish-brush, begin the spreading of the varnish at 
the upper part of the door, laying the material on as 
heavily as possible, for a thin coating will not be of value. 

Varnish should be put on plentifully, so that it may 
flow, but yet not so heavy as to run in festoons or heavy 
patches. Varnishing is unlike painting, for in one case 
the material is rubbed well with the brush, while in the 
other the varnish is laid as level as possible and plenti- 
fully, then carefully passed over with the brush, though 
not sufficient to disturb it after it begins to " set." 

A good idea of the requirements in laying varnish 
might be gained, if one had an opportunity to see a car- 



EVERYBODY'S PADfT BOOK. 133 

riage varnisher at work — for none know so well how to 
handle it. The work of laying the under or rubbing 
coats requires just as much care as is bestowed on the 
finishing coat, for the cleaner and smoother they are put 
on, the more satisfactory will be the finish. A large 
brush, say 0000 (four naughts) and a tool, i. e., a small 
brush for " cleaning up " or brushing around mouldings 
and the edges of panels should be used, for no good var- 
nishing can be done with a miserable, small, flat, half- 
gummed-up tool. Everything must be clean, and to in- 
sure cleanliness, it is an excellent plan to first get the 
door, and casing too, if that is to be done, well cleaned, 
and then to tack a large sheet of muslin over the whole 
front to exclude dust and sun while the varnish is drying. 
Then opening the door from inside, lay the varnish, and 
close the door. 

Doors may be painted in a similar manner, but as a rule 
it is not so necessary to exclude dust while painting. 

Varnishing the Vestibule. 

The vestibule should be as well done as the outer face 
of the main door, for in many cases the outer door is to 
be left open, and poor varnish would simply be vexatious. 
The side walls of the vestibule should also be painted or 
papered, for the dampness of so exposed a place would 
soon ruin kalsomine or fresco. 



134 everybody's paint book. 

Imitating Ground Glass. 

The lights around a front or hall door, if any, not of 
ground or colored glass, may be made to look well by 
simply daubing the glass over with a small dauber made 
by tying some soft glazier's putty up in a piece of coarse 
cloth. The pvitty will ooze through the meshes of the 
muslin and give a very good imitation of ground glass. 
A stripe may be added by scratching through the glass 
with a sharpened stick, passed along a straight-edge. 

Transferring Prints. 

Many beautiful pictures may be inexpensively made by 
the transfer process, not that known as decalcomanie, but 
the fixing of an ordinary print, steel-plate, lithograph, etc., 
by varnish to glass or a painted surface. 

The method is as follows : To fasten the picture to a 
prepared ground, say a white painted surface, first wet 
the paper well with clean water — or, if a colored print, 
with salt and water — and lay it carefully between some 
newspapers or the leaves of a book to allow all the outer 
moisture or wet to be absorbed. Next, prepare the painted 
surface to receive the paint by varnishing it with carriage- 
rubbing varnish, laying on a good coat, for a thin, sparse 
coat would not be suitable. When the varnish has be- 
come nearly dry (that is, wheu the hand may be passed 
lightly over it without its sticking to it, but when if the 



everybody's paint book. 135 

finger be pressed directly upon it, it will appear quite 
"tacky,") take the print and place it carefully, face down, 
upon the varnish, and press every part down smooth, or 
place several layers of newspapers upon it, together with 
a weight to keep them in place, and let all remain until 
the varnish is dry. Next dampen the paper with clean 
water, and begin to rub it off, using the ball of the mid- 
dle finger as a rubber, dampening and rubbing until all 
the paper is removed and nothing but the varnish and 
ink of the print remain. The picture is then varnished 
over with the same kind of varnish previously used, and 
all is complete. 

To Tkansfer Engkavings on Glass. 

To transfer a print to glass, the glass must first be well 
cleaned and varnished with a clean thin coat of carriage- 
rubbing varnish, and be allowed to dry hard. A picture 
will not transfer well to glass without two coats of varnish 
are put on. The second coat — the same as the first — be- 
ing put on and allowed to get "tacky," as before spoken 
of for a painted surface, the print is dampened and laid 
on as before described, and when the paper is rubbed 
from the back, the picture will be transparent, and by 
coloring on the back, coarsely, a beautiful effect will be 
given to the whole picture. Wood engravings, litho- 
graphs, or any similar picture can be transferred by this 
process. 



136 everybody's paint book. 

Something of this kind was introduced some years ago 
under the name of " Grecian Painting," in which the pa- 
per was rendered transparent by coatings of Balsam of 
Fir Tarnish, but no such effect could be given as in the 
process described above. 

"Varnishing Rustic Work. 

There is frequently occasion to renovate a rustic chair, 
hanging basket, or some other piece of rustic work, for as 
a rule the varnish used by the manufacturer soon disap- 
pears if the articles be exposed to the weather. 

Procure for this work some carnage-rubbing varnish, 
for filling up or making a foundation for a better quality 
of varnish. One coat will generally be sufficient for this. 
After it is dry, flow on a heavy coat of " One Coat Coach " 
varnish, which will dry hard and wear well even if ex- 
posed to the elements or frequent wetting. Carnage- 
rubbing varnish costs about $3.50 per gallon, and a pint 
will cover a far greater area of surface than many im- 
agine, so the actual expense of varnishing such things is 
trifling. Cheap furniture varnish ($1.50 per gallon) may 
do for inside work, but it will turn white and decay when 
exposed. 

Fret-work, 
such as brackets and fancy ornaments, may be oiled 
with boiled linseed oil, or be varnished, the latter we think 
best, and good shellac varnish is excellent for such work. 



everybody's paint book. 137 

For white hollywood, white damar varnish may be used, 
but for other woods shellac will be found good enough. 
It must be remembered that in varnishing sawed or fret 
work, great care is necessary not to have the varnish gather 
in the corners and run down upon the face of the work. 
A small bristle brush, such as described for drawing 
stripes in fresco painting, will be found excellent, for with 
it the small places can be well wiped out. 

Varnishing Clock Cases. 

In many instances a clock case may be made to look 
like new by simply rubbing it with raw linseed oil and a 
woolen rag to reproduce its color and lustre ; but if too 
much worn to look well, it may be varnished either with 
furniture varnish or shellac varnish, the former being pref- 
erable. Simply wash the case with soap and water, and 
when dry flow on the varnish. 

The face of the clock should not be tampered with, save 
to carefully clean it ; the hands may be coated with black 
japan, or be bronzed over with gold (see Chapter XVI., 
on Bronzing). 

Plaques and Chkomos. 

To preserve the beautiful pictures now so plentiful from 
age and fly-dirt, take them when new and clean, and flow 
over them a coat of white French shellac varnish, or to 
improve a faded chromo-lithograph, wash it carefully with 
clean warm water (no soap), and then varnish as above. 



138 everybody's paint book. 

Oil-paintings are also sometimes improved by a very 
thin coat of the French shellac varnish, but when the var- 
nish has dried, the lustre should be dimmed by rubbing 
with anything that will remove the gloss and not scratch. 

Gilt Moulding, or Frames. 
The majority of what is called gold-frame or gilt-mould- 
ing, is made by covering a prepared pine-moulding with 
silver leaf, which is then lacquered with gold-colored 
lacquer. This is not water-proof, and consequently 
frames and mouldings should not be rubbed hard with a 
wet cloth, although a little washing will do no harm. To 
renovate a gilt frame it is best to do it all over rather 
than to touch it up in spots, for the ground can seldom 
be matched. However, gilt-work is now so cheap that it 
will hardly pay to attempt to fix it up. A coat of French 
shellac varnish will brighten up an old frame, but we 
think it best to either paint, bronze, regild them or dis- 
card them entirely. 

Sanding in Imitation or Stone. 
There are many parts of a store or dwelling which may 
be improved by giving them the appearance of stone. 
The cornice, window-sills and caps, iron or wood railing, 
and in some cases the whole front of the building may 
thus be coated. To do this, mix paint as near the color 
of the stone desired as you can with boiled linseed oil. 
Two coats of paint will generally be necessary, allowing 



everybody's paint book. 139 

the first coat to dry well before putting on the second one. 
When the last coat is spread and while yet wet, fine white 
sand should he sprinkled over it plentifully. 

To Imitate Granite. 
Mix white-lead and oil, and after the sand has been 
sprinkled on, take a little lampblack and oil, and dipping 
a brush into it, strike the brush against a stick held in the 
other hand, to throw a trifling amount of fine black specks 
upon the sanded surface. Care must be taken not to put 
on too large spatters, nor too much. A good plan is to ex- 
periment on a board until the knack of spattering is gained. 

To Imitate Poetland-stone. 
Mix white-lead, yellow ochre and a drop or two of 
black to make the color, with oil, then sand it with no 
spattering of black. 

To Imitate Brown-stone. 

Use Grafton paint, or yellow ochre and Venetian red 
mixed with oil. 

At almost any dealer's one may purchase a "sanding- 
cup," consisting of a conical-shaped tin vessel having a 
hinged lid in which there are a number of small holes — 
like a pepper-box, with which a uniform coating of sand 
may be put on. 

The sea-sand should be well dried before any attempt 
is made to sift it, or it will not work well. In sanding a 



140 



EVERYBODY S PAINT BOOK;. 



flat smooth wall or boarding, a better imitation of stone 
may be given by laying it off in blocks, as shown in Fig. 32, 
by simply scratching through the sanded paint before it 
dries, with a stick, say, one-half an inch in width on the 
point, using a straight-edge, to govern the markings. 

For fine work of this kind on the interior of a dwelling, 
procure some "flockings" — a fine lint made in cutting 
plush and velvet — quite inexpensive — and after spreading 




Fif 



32, showing Method of Latino Off Sanded Work to Imitate 
Blocks of Stone. 



a coat of any cheap varnish, dust on the flockings, when a 
sort of velvet imitation will result. Don't disturb the wall 
until all is dry, when all loose particles may be dusted off. 
Smalt, a sort of powdered glass or fine sand, may be 
procured in various colors, and be used in a similar man- 
ner, although it is best for sign work. To use sinalt, first 
paint over the ground with oil paint as near the color of 
the smalt as possible, then while still wet sift on the smalt 



everybody's paint book;. 141 

and let dry. Black arid blue smalt makes excellent 
grounds for signs. 

The letters are first marked out and gilded, then care- 
fully painted around with oil black or oil blue — i. e., color 
mixed with boiled oil — and the smalt is dusted on. 

Some very handsome work may be done on signs by 
first painting the sign-board smooth, then stencilling on a 
lot of figures as directed for painting walls, outside of the 
letters, and coating the figures with smalt ; when dry, gild 
the whole over, leaving the lettering black. 

To Eenovate Picture-frames. 

Many picture-frames are made of black-walnut or other 
hard wood, and simply boiled to bring out the color of 
the wood, and these become dusty and time-worn. To 
make them fresh again, they may be rubbed over with a 
woolen rag and raw linseed oil, or be varnished ; the latter 
will generally make the best finish. Clean the frame 
thoroughly with soap and water, and dry it well, then with 
a small brush (a "sash-tool" as shown in Chapter in., 
Fig. 3, will answer), and a gill of furniture varnish the old 
frame may be made to look as good if not better than 
ever. Any oiled wood may thus be improved upon. If 
furniture varnish can not be readily obtained, shellac var- 
nish will answer just as good a purpose and even better 
in many cases, as it does not dry so glossy — and by many 
would be preferred on that account. As soon as you are 



142 everybody's paint book. 

through using your brush in shellac varnish, it should be 
immediately washed in strong alcohol, never with soap 
and water or in turpentine. 

Floors for Bed-chambers. 

Floors may be made to look well and wear a long time 
by first cleaning them nicely, then flow on a heavy coat 
of boiled linseed oil, let dry, and then give two coats of 
brown shellac varnish. 

Ornamental Frosting for Walls. 

"When kalsomining or painting a wall, before the mate- 
rial applied is dry, sift upon it powdered mica (known as 
diamond dust), and a beautiful crystallization will result, 
which in the gas-light will glisten like thousands of dia- 
monds. Try it. 

To Prevent Dampness in Brick Walls. 

Take a pound of mottled soap and dissolve it in a gal- 
lon of boiling water, and spread the hot solution with a 
kalsomine-brush over the outer surface of the wall — using 
care that it does not lather. Allow twenty-four hours for 
drying ; then apply a second coating made by dissolving 
a pound of alum in two gallons of water. The soap and 
alum mutually decompose each other, and form an insolu- 
ble varnish which the rain is unable to penetrate. The 
work should be done in dry, settled weather. 



everybody's paint book. 143 

Removing Hard and Dry Putty. 

A careful and experienced glazier sometimes runs more 
risk of damaging the wood of a window-frame than the 
glass, because when the putty is very hard it adheres with 
such tenacity to the wood that it is almost impossible to 
separate it without taking some of the wood, which is 
much softer. It has been recommended to put on the 
putty a caustic paste made of quicklime and caustic pot- 
ash or soda ; but this works slowly and does not penetrate 
quickly enough to the required depth. The best thing is 
to take a soldering-iron, heated a little below red-heat, 
and pass it slowly over the putty where it touches the 
wood ; be careful not to touch the glass in case this is to 
be saved. The putty will then become so soft that it 
can be separated easily from the wood. 

Cleaning Marble. 

Take washing soda, crush it fine, and mix with pulver- 
ized quicklime ; mix this with water to a paste, then rub it 
on the greasy surface, and on this let it dry. "When dry, 
scrape it off and wash the marble with soap and water. 
This is also good for sand or any porous stone. 

Staining Wood. 

Put some oil in a pot or dish, and stir in a little of the 
pulverized paints mentioned ; try it on a small spot of the 



144 eveetbody's paint book. 

cabinet to be stained ; if not dark enough, put in more 
paint ; if too dark, dilute with, oil ; if too red, put in more 
Van Dyke brown. To imitate walnut you will want mostly 
Van Dyke brown, with yery little sienna. To give pro- 
portions of quantity would be useless, as it depends on 
the nature of the wood to be stained and of the dry paint 
you use, which will vary considerably. Just try until it 
suits your purpose, and you will not encounter the least 
difficulty. 



CHAPTEE XX. 

Modern Styles of House Painting. 

There is no reason why a house should be painted in 
the orthodox style of white, with green blinds, or in drab 
colors with darker trimmings ; and it is now deemed quite 
proper to launch out into dark greens, black, red, etc., on 
city buildings, more particularly on store-fronts. No bet- 
ter advertising medium can be had, sometimes, than the 
showy color, say vermilion, on a store-front, for it can be 
noticed a long distance off among rows of brick, marble, 
and dull-colored buildings, and we believe the plan, if 
properly carried out, so far as harmony of colors is con- 
cerned, will be found excellent, on dwellings as well, not 
so much to advertise them, but to distinguish them from 
others without the trouble of seeking the street number. 
Harmony by analogy, which has already been mentioned 
in previous pages, will possibly aid in choosing suitable 
tints and shades ; for it would be an endless task to enu- 
merate all that could be used upon such work. 

Dark green, made by adding yellow and black, as de- 
scribed in the chapter on mixing paint, may be made to 
7 (145) 



146 everybody's paint book. 

look well with trimmings of black or gold, and the same 
may be said of red, either Indian red or vermilion. 
Many store-fronts are painted with lampblack, then light- 
ened up with touchings or siripings of gold, and they cer- 
tainly prove attractive landmarks by their color. 

Dwellings in a village or town could not be thus dark- 
ened in color, and tints of light or dark green, drab, buff, 
or salmon-color would prove, in most cases, superior to 
the monotonous white. 

On page 8 the reader will find instructions for mixing 
tints, and from which may be chosen a suitable one for 
the work he has in hand. If a light green, or any other 
similar tint is desired, such as drab, light blue, cream, etc., 
first mix white-lead from the keg with either raw or boiled 
oil to the proper consistency for spreading with the brush 
— not too thick, nor too thin — then add, say, one pint of 
brown japan to each gallon of paint, and afterward stir 
into the white thus made, a little at a time, the color re- 
quired to make the tint (as mentioned above). The color 
used should first be mixed thin with oil so that it will 
readily assimilate with the white. "When the desired tint 
is formed the paint will be ready for putting on. It must 
be noted, however, that most any tint will fade or become 
lighter after a few months' exposure, and it is therefore 
best to make all mixtures a little darker than you wish to 
have them, in order to make allowance for this peculiarity. 

Tints of light olive-green upon the sides of a dwelling 



everybody's paint book. 147 

may have a trimming of darker olive, and the blinds, cor- 
nice, and even the roof may be a tint of red, made with 
Indian-red and white ; or perhaps still better taste would 
be displayed if these were a solid Indian-red color, with 
no white added, to make a stronger contrast. 

To Imitate Bkickwoek. 

Coat the surface to be painted with a mixture of Vene- 
tian red and a little yellow ochre, to take off the bright 
red glare, with boiled linseed oil, and a pint of brown 
japan to each gallon of paint. Two coats of this will be 
necessary in most cases, and when these are dry, the pen- 
cilling, either white or black, may be put on. The color 
for pencilling is mixed in the same manner as the red, but 
with a little turpentine added to cause it to run freely 
from the pencil. Pencils for brickwork may be obtained 
at any dealer's, and the lines are drawn by passing the 
pencil along a straight-edge, using great care to get the 
lines a proper distance apart and the joints of the brick 
well broken. 

Stonework may be done in a similar manner, using the 
desired colors for gray, brown, Portland-stone, etc., the 
mixtures for which have already been mentioned in Chap- 
ter XIX. 



CHAPTEE XXI. 



Home Decoration. 



We will now enter the field of decoration, and endeavor 
to show how the interior of the home may be beautified 




Fig. 33. —Showing Suitable Leaves for Spatter work. 

There are many little things that the mother or daughter 
can do in leisure moments which will serve to break the 
monotony of the ever-present knitting, crocheting, and 

(148) 



everybody's paint book. 149 

sewing or embroidering. The first to be considered is the 
making of a handsome wall decoration in spatter-work — ■ 
not the usual white and black attempts — but a real good 
picture, if the directions be well followed. 

The leaves of the oak, maple, geranium, and other plants 
and trees, ferns, etc., should first be gathered and placed 




Fig. 34.— Bkush for Spatter-work. 

between the leaves of a book, and under a heavy weight 
to press them perfectly flat. 

Next procure some fine quality drawing paper, say 
royal, 19 x 24 inches, costing $1.00 per quire, a paper of 
very small pins, and several sticks of India ink. 
Break the India ink into small pieces and put it into a 
small bottle with a little warm water, and shake it re- 
peatedly until it is all dissolved and the liquid is some- 



Fig. 35 shows a Spatter-stick. 

what thicker than writing ink. Next procure a good qual- 
ity tooth-brush and a stick shaped something like Fig. 35, 
from four to six inches long. These constitute all the 
requirements for making the picture. Upon a smooth 



150 everybody's paint book. 

board, large enough, to take on a sheet of drawing paper, 
or a soft pine table, fasten the paper down smooth by 
tacks in each corner. Now open the book of leaves and 
lay them out carefully, so that in arranging them you can 
quickly see which leaf or vine to choose. 

Begin at the bottom if you decide upon making a 
wreath, and laying the largest leaves with their serrated 
edges turned outward, one lapjoing over the other ; con- 
tinue, sticking a little pin here and there to hold each part 
in place, until the wreath is formed to your satisfaction 
with the leaves. Care should be taken to place the largest 
leaves at the bottom centre, and diminish in size as you 
approach the apex or top. All the leaves must point out- 
ward. Having pinned down and securely fastened every 
leaf, the work of spattering begins. 

Pour into a saucer or other shallow dish some of the 
India ink, and with the fore-finger of the right hand 
dipped into it, apply a very small quantity upon the ends 
of the bristles of the tooth-brush. Hold the brush — bris- 
tles upwards — in an inclined or nearly perpendicular posi- 
tion directly over the leaves and paiaer, and at least six 
inches above them, and with the stick pass over the bris- 
tles from bottom to top very gently. The movement of the 
stick will cause the bristles to bend and spring back again, 
while the ink will fall in a fine spray over all beneath. 
The operation should be repeated until the paper is 
colored slightly gray nearest the edges of the leaves, and 




151 



152 everybody's paint book. 

blended off to nothing as it recedes from them. The 
darkest shade shoidd be given the bottom. Care must 
be taken not to drop a large spot, or to spatter so much 
in one place that one spot will run into another and make 
a blot. When this is done take the pins out of one or two 
leaves at the bottom and remove the leaves ; then care- 
fully spatter the edge of those leaves which were under 
the ones taken off. Continue taking off the leaves, going 
from the bottom upward, and spattering each edge as it 
is exposed. One side of each leaf may be spattered a 
little darker by holding the brush in a certain position — a 
knack easily learned. When all the leaves are thus spat- 
tered and removed, take a pen and with the India ink 
lightly sketch in the veins of the leaves. Fig. 36 represents 
a wreath done in the manner described. The original 
picture from which our engraving was made measured 
11 x 9 inches. 

Some beautiful work may be done by the addition of a 
cross, a monument, or some other figure, and these may 
be cut out of paper, and arranged in the same manner as 
the leaves, the thickness of the cross being cut off after 
the first spattering, and the white face of the cross re- 
placed, until all other parts are done. The spattering 
should be darkest at the base. When all is done and 
your picture nicely framed it will present a very neat ap- 
pearance if you have performed the work properly (see 
Fig. 37). The original from which our engraving was 




Fig. 37 EEPBBSENTS A SPATTER-WOBK CROSS. 



7* 



153 







Fig. 33 SHOWS ANOTHEK SPECIMEK OF SPATTER-WORK. 



154 



everybody's paint book. 155 

made measured 9 x 12 inches. Fig. 38, which represents 
another specimen of spatter-work measured 10 x 12 inches 
before reduction. 

Spatter-work may also be done on fine satin or linen, 
and thus form very handsome pin-cushions, wall-pockets, 
etc. 

Again, a white door may be taken from its hinges, and 
laid horizontally while the panels or stiles are ornamented 
in this manner; after which a very thin coat of shellac 
varnish should be put over it, with a soft varnish brush, 
exercising great care not to touch the work but once, and 
that very lightly or the figures might be disturbed. 



CHAPTEE XXIX 

QrEsnoNS Asked asb Answered. 

In the foregoing pages a fair description of " "What can 
be done, and the way to do it," has been given ; but there 
are many items of interest connected with the subject 
which it may be well to impress more forcibly upon the 
reader's mind in order that those who undertake to carry 
out any of the many formulas, may not after one or two 
trials fail on account of some misunderstanding. 

The foregoing chapters, after being placed in type, were 
submitted to those who could readily comprehend what 
had been written, for criticism, and many questions on 
points which to them seemed somewhat vague have been 
propounded. 

The first of these series was from a lady in reference 
to the 

Eexovation, or Eepolishtng of a Piano. 

The case of a piano only, will be found to be polished, 

while the legs, especially carved ones, are varnished. The 

varnish used on this work is called by the manufacturer, 
(156) 



everybody's paint book. 157 

" Piano-polishing," for the case, and "Piano-flowing," for 
the legs and stool. It is seldom that a piano becomes so 
badly dilapidated that it is unfit for refinishing ; but when 
one does get scratched or bruised so badly as to be unfit, 
the yarnish should be wholly removed. This may be 
done by scraping with a steel scraper, such as is used by 
carpenters, or the varnish may be softened with a solution 
of ammonia and then be scraped or washed off. 

Take, say, two ounces of spirits of ammonia and add 
two ounces of water ; then with a rag tied to a stick, sop 
over the surface, and allow it to set a few moments, when 
the varnish will be found to soften. Take a part of the 
work in hand at a time, say the back of the piano, and 
complete that before going to other parts, and care should 
be taken that no ammonia gets upon the inner works. 
When all has been cleaned in this manner, let the damp- 
ness dry out, then with No. 1 sand-paper rub all parts 
smooth, dust off, and apply a coat of varnish, known as 
"Scraping or Filling" varnish. Two or three coats of 
this varnish will be necessary to make a good foundation 
for the " Piano-polishing " varnish, which is next in order. 
The "Scraping" varnish having become dry and hard, 
take a flat steel scraper and scrape over the surface, taking 
most of the varnish off, but leaving the pores of the wood 
well filled. Sand-paper lightly with fine sand-paper and 
put the polishing varnish on plentifully, and as evenly as 
possible. Two coats of polishing varnish will be enough. 



158 everybody's paint book. 

"When dry, say in two days, the work of polishing is 
begun. 

First, rub the surface as smooth as possible with pul- 
verized pumice-stone and water, wash off and dry well. 
Next, have at hand a vial of brown shellac varnish and 
another of boiled linseed oil. Then take a strip of list 
several yards long, and roll it up into a flat roll, over 
which tie a piece of cloth or flannel to form a flattened 
rubbing pad. Now saturate the face of the pad by dip- 
ping it into a shallow dish containing the shellac, then 
drop a few drops of the oil from the vial upon the face 
of the pad and begin rubbing the varnish. The use 
of shellac and oil will become apparent, when the pad 
does not pass easily over the varnish, showing that more 
shellac and oil is necessary. Continue the rubbing in a 
circular manner, so that any fine scratches may not be 
seen, until the whole case has a smooth, even gloss. 

The carved legs may be varnished with the " Piano-fin- 
ishing " varnish, and the job completed. 

"Where the varnish is in good condition, it is only neces- 
sary to repolish it; and the same operation as above may 
be carried out. Not only is this a proper way to fix up a 
piano, but an organ or any other piece of furniture may 
be done in a similar manner. The polishing of the var- 
nish on a carriage body is done by rubbing the varnish 
with pulverized pumice-stone and water, then with pul- 
verized rotten-stone and water ; afterward with rotten- 



everybody's paint book. 159 

stone and sweet oil. The work upon a heavy job often 
occupies one man from eight to ten days' time. It 
should be borne in mind that this elaborate refinishing is 
only required where a piano is in very bad order. Ordi- 
narily, a coat or two of " Piano-polishing " varnish for 
the case, and " Piano-flowing " varnish for the legs will 
answer every purpose — of course, polishing the case as 
described above. 

Renovating Cottage Furniture. 

A lady wishes to know how to improve the appearance 
of a set of cottage chamber furniture, which is now 
painted a cream color and ornamented with flowers. The 
best way to clean up such work, where it is not too far 
destroyed, is to rub every part clean and smooth with 
pulverized pumice-stone and water;, wash and dry well, 
and lay on a coat of light-colored Carriage-Rubbing var- 
nish. If the furniture is bruised so badly that it is neces- 
sary to repaint it to make a good job, and the ornamental 
work may be saved, — 

First dissolve some glue in hot water, so that it is about 
the consistency of cream, then add enough whiting to 
give it the body of paint. Keep it hot, and with a small 
brush lay a coat over all the parts to be saved, that is, the 
flowers, leaves, etc., and let dry. When dry, paint over 
the furniture the same as if there was no ornamental 
work upon it, with any desired tint (see chapter on tints). 



160 everybody's paint book. 

When the painting is done, take some warm water and a 
soft rag or a sponge, and wash off the glue, which will 
soften easy and come off, leaving the figures as if. newly 
painted upon another ground. 

"What is Pumice-stone? 

Pumice-stone is the lava from a volcano. It comes to 
us in lumps of various sizes. It is exceedingly jDorous, and 
most of it so light that it will float upon water. The 
lumps are cut with a saw and file to any desired shape, 
and it is then used in connection with water for levelling 
the surface of paint on carriage bodies. Pulverized 
pumice-stone is the lumps ground fine in burr-niills, and 
sifted or bolted to various degrees of fineness. It is used 
with water in levelling varnish coats, or for cleaning paint 
or metals. 

Furniture and Carriage Varnish. 

" What is the difference between furniture and carnage 
varnish ? " Carriage varnish is made from the best gum- 
copal, linseed oil, and turpentine ; the different grades 
being formed by the different quantity of ingredients or 
their quality. The best quality is known as " Finishing," 
and various names are given by the many manufacturers, 
such as "Wearing Body," "Body Finishing," etc. Car- 
riage varnish from England has for a number of years 
held supremacy over other makes; but the American var- 



everybody's paint book. 161 

rush-makers have at last equalled it, and although many 
carriage-makers use the English brand upon their work, 
the majority of those in this country give preference to 
American varnish. 

Furniture varnish is greatly inferior, being made from 
inferior gums and resins. It is suitable only for inside 
work, having no durability when exposed to the weather. 

Painting Window-Blinds. 

" Will the paint as mixed for a lumber- wagon answer for 
window-blinds ? " No, window-blinds should be painted 
with pure oil paint; a trifling amount of brown japan may 
be added to hasten the drying; but good boiled linseed 
oil will give the best results. Mix the dry color to the 
proper consistency for spreading with boiled oil only, and 
apply as evenly as possible. 

Varnishing Wall-Paper. 

" Can wall-paper be varnished ? " There is a certain class 
of wall-paper made specially for varnishing, and used for 
wainscotings, etc. ; but as a general thing the wall-papers 
are unfitted to receive varnish, even when carefully sized 
with starch or glue-water. 

Learning to Letter. 

" Can I learn to letter signs and wagons from books ? " 
Yes; you may gain a sufficient amount of information 



162 everybody's paint book. 

from books to enable you to practice lettering, and by 
practice you may become proficient. An excellent book 
for a beginner is " The Complete Carriage and "Wagon 
Painter," by Fritz Schriber, published by M. T. Richard- 
son, No. 7 Warren Street, New York, (price $1.00). In 
this book rules are given for laying out and painting let- 
ters for both wagons and signs, and the work is very com- 
plete. If you have no taste for drawing a letter, and feel 
too old to learn how, there are templets of brass, by the 
use of which you may draw the outline of any letter. 
Then, there are sets of the alphabet cut out of strong 
pasteboard, that you can lay upon the work and rnark 
around; but, after all, the knowledge is quickly gained, 
and the book spoken of fills the bill. 

" What is meant by Harmony of Colors ? " 

Harmony of colors is just as essential in pleasing the 
eye, as the harmony of sound is to pleasing the ear. The 
subject, if fully explained, would occupy too much space 
in a book of this kind. However, it may be said : There 
are three primary colors, viz.: Red, Blue, Yellow; and 
these can not be made by the mixture of other colors; but 
by mixing the primaries in pairs, other colors, called 
" complimentary colors," are formed. For instance, red 
and blue make violet; red and yellow, orange; and blue 
and yellow, green. If green be placed beside red (the 
primary not in green) the red will be improved, and vice 



everybody's paint book. 163 

versa. If orange be placed beside blue (the missing pri- 
mary), both, colors 'will be intensified, and so on; but if 
blue be placed beside green, without the interposition of 
white or black, the eye would not be pleased, which shows 
that the color combination is not harmonious. 

White and Black are known as neutral colors. 

Harmony by contrast is the mingling of colors which 
are quite different, as red and green, yet pleasing to 
the eye. 

Harmony by analogy is the mingling of colors very 
similar in tone — that is, a light green and a medium or 
dark green. "We often see an ornament painted in what 
is called " Monochrome," i. e., one color, but in various 
tints, as, for example: a monogram would be laid in in 
pink, the dark shades in carmine, the middle shades ver- 
milion, and the high-lights in white, tinted with red. This 
is harmony by analogy, and the eye is generally pleased 
with such a combination. See "Chevreul on Color," a 
work by a noted French chemist. 

Painting- Tots. 

"With what are toys generally painted?" Toys are 
painted with size or water-colors. The paint dries quickly, 
and is then varnished with shellac, if a gloss is desired. 
The work is generally done by small girls, who become 
very dexterous in the handling of the brush. 



164 everybody's paint book. 

Ammonia, and How it Injures Varnish. 

"We notice nothing in your proof-sheets about ammo- 
nia, that deadly enemy of varnish and paint. Will you 
please give us a description of its action and of what it 
consists of ? " 

Ammonia, in its uncombined form, is an elastic gaseous 
body. It is volatile and easily destroyed by heat, but it is 
rapidly absorbed by water, which it takes in solution 
about 780 times its volume. It is liberated whenever any 
of the compounds of this alkali are acted upon by potash, 
soda, lime, and many of the alkaline earths, lime being 
one of the quickest to act. 

Muriate of ammonia is produced by the decomposition of 
vegetable matter and the excrement from animals. Lime 
and other articles act upon the ammonia and liberate 
the gases, the action of which is very serious on varnish 
when the surface is not dry. 

This is accounted for by the affinity of ammonia to 
water, the two forming an alkali which acts upon the oil 
in the varnish, and by absorbing it deprives the varnish 
of the element so necessary for its life and lustre. 

Owing to the volatile character of ammonia, it will dis- 
tribute itself over a large space, and where the conditions 
are favorable it will work permanent injury. In storing 
carriages, therefore, care should be taken to select a loca- 
tion as free from moisture as possible. If the carriage- 



everybody's paint book. 165 

house is kept dry, so that no moisture settles upon the 
varnish, no injury will arise from ammonia ; but if the air 
of the room is charged with moisture, the ammonia will 
destroy the varnish, even though the quantity is so slight 
as to he imperceptible. Brick stables or plaster walls, 
owing to the presence of lime, are far more injurious 
than when the surroundings are wood. Some of the 
earths are nearly as injurious as lime, and a varnished 
surface covered with dust, if standing in a room where 
the air is not absolutely dry, will act the same as lime, 
and the volatile alkali will destroy the life of the varnish, 
though this may not be apparent when the carriage is 
first washed off. Ammonia exists wherever animals are 
stabled, and the only real protection from its ravages is 
by hot, dry air. 

Recent improvements in varnish have made some kinds 
less susceptible to ammonia than others, but in the absence 
of these, or even with these, dry air is the main safeguard. 

Detecting Adulteration in Dry Colors. 

"Please tell how we can detect adulteration in dry 
colors, if it is possible to do so ? " 

The adulteration of pigments, and in some cases their 
imperfect manufacture, are conditions that it is not always 
possible to guard against, for the difference between good 
and bad material is not discoverable until the work on 
which the material is used is completed, and too late to 



166 everybody's paint book. 

rectify the error. "White-lead frequently contains a large 
percentage of barytes, and vermilion of red-lead, or other 
heavy pigment, and even though we have at our command 
tests for proving their purity, we do not always feel dis- 
posed to apply them until it is discovered that something 
is wrong. 

White-lead, if pure, when thrown on a piece of burn- 
ing charcoal, will first turn yellowish, then melt down into 
metallic globules. If impure, there will be a residue of 
white earthy matter. Vermilion, if pure, will entirely 
evaporate if thrown on a red-hot iron. 

Chrome yellow may be tested by pouring on it a little 
nitric acid ; if it effervesces, it is adulterated ; if not, it is 
pure. 

Ultramarine blue, if adulterated, will scarcely be affected 
by nitric acid, but if pure will lose its color almost entire- 
ly. If Prussian blue and indigo be used to adulterate 
ultramarine, it may be detected by throwing some of the 
blue on live charcoal, when, if a bluish vapor is given off, 
having a smell of burning indigo, the adulteration is cer- 
tain, otherwise it is possibly pure. 

Cheap japans, used as dryers, are in part resjDonsible for 
a large class of paint troubles. A good japan will readily 
assimilate with oil, while a poor, worthless one will be 
found to coagulate or curdle, and resist every attempt to 
mix with it. The fading of a color after it is upon the 
work is generallv due to the effects of sunlight, ammonia 



everybody's paint book. 161 

from the stable, or in some cases to a mixture of pigments 
which are inharmonious. In manufacturing pigments, it 
is often necessary to combine two colors while in pure 
and limpid solutions, rather than to mix the two dry pig- 
ments, in order to arrive at a perfect tone or hue of color, 
and the painter will find the same rule applicable in some 
cases in mixing certain colors to form others. For ex- 
ample, if he desires a rich shade of green, he will find it 
advisable to mix Prussian blue with his vehicles, and 
grind it fine in the mill ; then mix chrome yellow in a 
similar manner and grind that ; and after this, to add the 
blue to the yellow paint during a lively stirring with a 
stick or sj>atula, until the desired shade is obtained. This 
method will result in a better commingling of the parti- 
cles of the pigments, and produce a better color than by 
the more common method. 

The durability of a color is in many cases dependent 
upon the vehicles used in mixing the paint, or in the ex- 
posure it receives. We are told by one writer — who, per- 
haps, had a single example set him — that "zinc white 
should always be used in place of white-lead at the sea- 
side, where it is especially durable. The action of the 
salt air injures the lead." 

While another writer tells us that "white-lead is the 
more durable of the two — zinc and lead — in exposed situa- 
tions at the sea-side, where salt air is present." 

Another, and I believe the most sensible of the three, 



168 everybody's paestt book. 

says : " The most durable -white for exteriors is a mixture 
of white-lead and zinc in equal parts, mixed or thinned 
with pale boiled oil, raw oil being more liable to be sucked 
into the wood, leaving the pigment without sufficient bind- 
ing." The reason of this is obvious ; the white-lead 
possesses the most body, and consequently gives a better 
covering, and the zinc being less affected by salt air (pre- 
sumably) acts as a preservative to the lead, and thus du- 
rability is extended. However, I am of the opinion that 
the decision arrived at regarding the use of either, alone 
or mixed together, is based upon insufficient testimony 
coming from those, perhaps, who have an axe to grind. 

Much of the durability of colors depends upon the 
ground over which the paint is spread. If the ground be 
porous to absorb the vehicles of the paint, the pigment 
will be deprived of a sufficient amount to keep it in color 
— it will fade or turn gray. You will often see pigments 
in lumps, which, if broken, present a deeper or more 
brilliant tone ujDon the inside than upon the outside, and 
this is the case with paint that has lost its vitality by the 
absorption of the oiL so that care should be had to form 
a good foundation. 



GLOSSAET. 



Badger-hair Brushes. — Brush.es made from the hair of 
the animal of that name, used for fine varnishing or 
" color-and-varnishing " principally. 

Benzine. — A volatile spirits distilled from petroleum or coal 
oil, used as a substitute for turpentine both as a vehicle 
for paint, and as a thinner for varnish. It was, during 
the rebellion, the only vehicle within the reach of moder- 
ate means, turpentine being at one time $2.50 per.gallon, 
but it is now looked upon as worthless in the paint-shop. 
It can be readily discovered by its pungent odor, and 
care should be taken in purchasing turpentine, that it is 
not used as an adulterant. 

Black Japan. — A solution of asphaltum or Jew's pitch in 
linseed oil or varnish. It comes ready prepared at a cost 
of $4.50 per gallon. 

Bristle Brush. — A brush made from the bristles of the 
hog. The best are taken from the wild hog of Russia, 
while the animal is alive. The hogs are allowed to roam 
the dense forests, where thousands of nut-growing trees 
supply them with food, and on which they fatten. Their 
bristles grow to an enormous size. They are driven into 
corals, seized by strong hands, one at a time, and their 
bristles pulled out while suffering excruciating pain, as 
their cries attest. They are then allowed to go free to 
grow another crop of bristles. 

8 (169) 



170 everybody's paint book. 

Bronze. — A fine powder of various metals, made by first 
comminuting the metal, then mixing it with honey and 
grinding it exceedingly fine, after which the honey is 
removed by washing and the metal dust dried on shallow 
pans. 

Camel'§-hair Brushes. — Brushes made of hair said to be 
from the camel, but which for the most part comes from 
the tail of the Russian squirrel. They are soft yet elastic, 
and have no superior for spreading fine colors such as 
are used on carriages. 

" Chiselled." — A term used to denote that the bristles of a 
brush are tapered down or worn off on the edge to a 
chisel shape. This is done by the brush-maker to give 
the brush a better shape for laying paint. It was former- 
ly the practice to wear down a new brush on some rough 
surface to get it in order for good work, but chiselling 
obviates that trouble. The bristles are drawn back on 
each side of the brush, forming a thin edge, and leaving 
the split-end of the bristles intact. Those that are ground 
off are not so soft and elastic. 

Drying Read. — With no gloss; the paint will be of one 
appearance throughout, with no lustre. 

Egg-shell gloss. — Paint drying with a very slight lustre, 
in fact like an egg-shell — not dead. 

Glazing. — The art of giving a ground-color a different 
shade or richness by coating it with a transparent glaze 
or thin wash. The pigment, such as carmine, ultrama- 
rine blue, etc. , is mixed with varnish to form a sort of 
colored varnish, not a solid covering, and then applied 
the same as varnish to a ground quite near the color of 
the glaze. For carmine, any dark or light red may be 
used as a ground. For blue, any shade of blue made of 
Prussian blue, may be glazed with ultramarine. For 
green, use verdigris or Paris green, for a glaze. For 



everybody's paint book. lYl 

yellow, or for dark bottle-green, use yellow lake or 
Dutch pink for the glazing color. 

Japan Drier, or Brown Japan. — A drier for paints 
made by boiling linseed oil with substances which give 
it drying properties, such as manganese, sugar of lead, 
red-lead, litharge, etc. , and adding for a body, gum-shel- 
lac or inferior Tarnish gums. Price generally $1. 50 per 
gallon. 

Japan-Crold-size. — A superior quality of brown japan, in- 
tended for a drier of paint, and not, as many suppose, a 
size for metallic leaf or powder. It is of twice the strength 
of brown japan, and its price is in proportion, i. e., $3.00 
per gallon. 

Leaf. — Any metal rolled and beaten into thin sheets, as 
gold-leaf, nickel-leaf, etc. 

Linseed Oil. — An oil expressed from flaxseed. 

Pencils. — The name given to all small brushes, less in size 
than the sash-tool, as striping-pencils, lettering-pencils, 
etc. Some pencils are made of sable-hair, and are quite 
expensive, as the hah is obtained from a small animal of 
the weasel family, and that only from the tip of the tail. 
Camel's-hair pencils are, as before said, made of Russian 
squirrel-hair. Ox-hair pencils from the hah that grows 
in that animal's ear. Pencils are bound in quills of all 
sizes, in tin, and some are simply hah tied to a stick. 

Pigments. — Coloring substances generally in powdered 
form, produced by chemical means or dug directly from 
the earth. The list embraces many colors which may be 
made by the painter, by combining simple pigments, and 
would occupy too much space here, but a few only will 
be noticed. 

Bone-black. — An inferior black made by burning the 
bones of animals, instead of ivory. 



172 eveeybody's paint book. 

Carmine. — A blood-red color extracted from cochineal. It 
is the most expensive pigment used in carriage painting, 
and therefore seldom put on in the same manner as other 
colors. Glazing is resorted to, to lessen the quantity of 
pigment used. 

Indian-red. — A deep red pigment, a chemically prepared 
ochre, or earth. 

Ivory-black is made by calcining the chips and refuse of 
ivory-workers. After being burned the charcoal thus 
formed is ground in powerful mills, while mixed with 
water. The best quality is known in the trade as ' ' Ger- 
man ivory-black," imported into this country in the form 
of a fine powder, the price ranging from fourteen to 
twenty-three cents per pound wholesale. 

Lampblack. — The soot from burning oils, fat, tar, vegeta- 
bles and other like matter. Lampblack is the most dura- 
ble pigment in use, being nearly pure carbon. 

Prussian Blue. — A pigment made by chemically prepar- 
ing the refuse of slaughter-houses, etc. 

Sienna. — Similar to umber, but of a deep salmon-color 
when burned. 

Ultramarine Blue. — Named from the precious stone 
which was originally powdered to form the color, and 
which came from "across the sea," ultra — beyond, and 
marine — the sea. The Lapis lazuli, or precious stone, 
was indeed too precious, and the pigment we now em- 
ploy is made by chemical means. 

Umber. — An ochre, the natural color of which is very 
nearly that of iron-rust, but when bumed it becomes 
darker and of a rich brown color. 

Vermilion. — A bright red pigment made by combining 
chemically, sulphur and mercury. There are several 
brands of American vermilion, but English vermilion is 



everybody's taint book. 173 

by far the best, the "light" being used extensively 
wherever a bright red is wanted, the "deep" for ordi- 
nary work. 
White-lead. —A pigment made by subjecting the metallic 
lead to the fumes, or. corroding influence of vinegar, 
when it becomes a fine white powder. Much of this is 
ground in huge mills while mixed with linseed oil, and 
is then technically known as keg-lead or tub-lead. Dry 
white-lead is the powder unmixed. 

Pumice-stone. — The lava from a volcano. The lumps or 
pieces of stone are used for scouring down old paint or 
for level ling rough-stuff on carriage bodies ; the powdered 
or pulverized pumice-stone is simply the lumps ground 
to powder, for rubbing varnish smooth. 

Rough-stuff, — as its name implies, — is a rough -grained 
paint designed to level over any hollows or imperfec- 
tions in the surface to be painted and varnished, as a car- 
riage body. It is composed of some cheap ochre or other 
hard and gritty pigment, so that the stone with which it 
is rubbed will grind it down smooth and not clog or fill 
up. A good recipe for Rough-stuff is as follows : 

Take equal parts of dry white-lead and Grafton paint 
or English filling (an earth), and mix them with equal 
parts of rubbing varnish and brown japan ; grind loosely 
through the paint-mill; then thin to a working con- 
sistency with raw linseed oil one part, turpentine two 
parts. 

Size. — A name given to any mixture which becomes adhe- 
sive when partly dry, as "gold-size," the proper name of 
which should be "gilding size," to distinguish it from 
the paint drier — gold-size. However, there is a gilding 
size imported from England under the name of "Har- 
land's gold-size," wbich is one of the best for laying leaf 
or bronze upon. 



174 EVERYB UTt's PAINT BOOK. 

Tint. — A change of -white by the addition of any other color, 
as pink, straw, gray, etc. 

Turpentine. — A volatile oil, generally called spirits of tur- 
pentine, obtained by distillation from pine-wood, the 
residue being tar and pitch. Pure turpentine evaporates 
quickly, leaving no sediment, consequently it is not used 
in paint to bind tbe particles of pigment together, but to 
make the mixture more limpid, that it may be spread 
easily with a pencil or brush. 

Varnish, Carriage. — The varnish for carriages is made by 
melting copal gum, mixing it with linseed oil and add- 
ing a drier to it, then thinning to the proper consistency 
with turpentine. The best quality is called Wearing 
Body, at from $5.50 to $6.00 per gallon. This varnish is 
very pale, and excels in freedom and safety of working, 
as well as in brilliancy and durability. In good weather 
it dries out of the way of dust in eight hour's ; hardens 
free from tack in four days ; sets so slowly that it affords 
ample time to make a perfect job on the largest panels, 
and the job will be ready for use in five or six days. This 
varnish is excellent for front-doors to dwellings. 

Varnish, Carriage-Rubbing'. — A varnish designed for 
the first coats or under coats of varnish on carriages, 
which is rubbed level with pulverized pumice-stone and 
then varnished over with a finishing, or better grade of 
varnish. It is excellent for some work hi the house, 
and for mixing in colors. 

Varnish, Damar. — Made by dissolving damar gum in 
spirits; it is quick-drying, very white (of a milky ap- 
pearance), but the gum is soft and the varnish never 
hardens well. It is used for mixing with white-lead or 
zinc-white, to form what is known as " China gloss " for 
interiors, etc. 



everybody's paint book. 175 

Tarnish, Furniture. — A mixture of inferior gums and 
resins with linseed oil, or with, inferior oils, such as cot- 
ton-seed oil, fish oil, etc. It serves a very good pui'pose 
on common furniture, or upon any work of a dark color 
which is not to be exposed to the weather. Price vary- 
ing from $1.50 to $3.00 per gallon. 

Varnish, "One Coat Coach." — For finishing-coats on 
ordinary work. This varnish, though not so pale or 
durable as Wearing Body, is heavy -bodied and especial- 
ly adapted for finishing bodies or gears of carriages, 
when a single coat only is practicable. In good weather 
it dries in seven hours with fullness and brilliancy, and 
wears well. 

Tarnish, Shellac. — A solution of shellac gum and alcohol. 
There are three kinds in common use, viz. : brown shel- 
lac for common work ; white shellac (a milky substance) 
for white work, and pale French shellac (the color of 
cider) for any kind of work. Shellac varnish dries in a 
few minutes, and ranges in price from $2.00 to $4.00 per 
gallon. 

Vehicle. — Any liquid used in mixing paint. 

Zinc White. — Made by burning the metal zinc, and con- 
densing the smoke and fumes ; it is a very pure white, 
and preferred on some work to lead. 



INDEX. 



PAGE 

Adulteration in Colors 165 

Ammonia 164 

Baluster Rails, To Oil 131 

Bed-chamber Floors 142 

Bedsteads, To Renovate 71 

Black 9 

Blackboard Paint 120 

Black Ebony, To Imitate 73 

Blue, Ultramarine 42 

Brick Walls, To Prevent Dampness in 142 

Brickwork, Color for 10 

Brickwork, To Imitate 147 

Bronzing 113 

Bronze-Work, To Renovate 81 

Brown, Olive 43 

Brush, Camel's-Hair 16 

Brush, How to Bridle a 24 

Brush, How to Handle a 25 

Brush, Ordinary 13 

Brush, Varnish 15 

Brushes, How to Preserve 22 

Buggy, To Touch up a 102 

Buggy, To Varnish a 102 

Carriage Body (Cracked), To Paint a 101 

Carriage, Improving Leather on 100 

Carriage Painting 93 

Carriage, To make an old one look like new 104 

Carriage Varnish 160 

Ceilings, To Ornament 58 

Ceilings, To Renovate 51 

(176) 



INDEX. 177 

PAOK 

Chairs, To Paint 71 

Chandeliers, To Eenovate 81 

Chromos, To Varnish 137 

Cleaning before Painting 31 

Cleaning House 51 

Cleaning Marble 143 

Clock Cases, To Varnish 137 

Color, Brick 43 

Color, Chestnut 42 

Color, Cream 43 

Color, Copper 43 

Color, Drab 42 

Color, Fawn 42 

Color, Flesh 42 

Color, French Gray 43 

Color, Gray 43 

Color, Lemon 43 

Color, Lilac 42 

Color, Lead 43 

Color, Oak. 43 

Color, Plum 42 

Color, Purple 42 

Color, Stone 42 

Color, Violet 42 

" Coior-and- Varnish " 98 

Color, Cream 8 

Colors, Detecting Adulteration in 165 

Color, Drab 8 

Colors for Business Wagons 33 

Colors for Farm Implements 30 

Colors, Harmony of 162 

Colors, How to Mix 35 

Color, Lead 8 

Color, Pea-Green 8 

Color, Pearl 8 

Color, Eose, or Pink 8 

Color, Salmon 8 



178 INDEX. 

PAGE 

Colors, Silver Gray 8 

Colors, Straw 8 

Colors, "Wood 8 

Damask Walls, To Make 65 

Dampness, To Prevent in Brick Walls 142 

Decoration, Home 148 

Door (Front), To Varnish 131 

Drier, Japan 3 

Drier, Patent „ 5 

Dutch Metal 114 

Ellipse, To Lay Out 122 

Engravings, To Transfer 135 

Farm Wagons, Color for 10 

Farm Wagons, Indian Red for 41 

Farm Implements, Color for 10 

Farm Implements, Color for 40 

Farm Implements, Color for 41 

Farm Implements, To Paint 29 

Farm Tools, Color for 10 

Farm Wagon, To Paint 106 

Fences, To Paint 89 

Floor Oil-Cloth, To Varnish 129 

Floors for Bed-chambers 142 

Floors, Paint for 38 

Flower-Stands, Paint for 37 

Fret-Work 136 

Furniture, To Renovate 71 

Furniture, To Renovate 159 

Furniture Varnish 160 

Gilding 113 

Gilding Carved Work 116 

Gilding on Plate Glass 115 

Gilt Moulding 138 

Glass (Ground), To Imitate 120 

Glass (Ground), To Imitate 134 

Glass, To Transfer Prints on 135 

Glossary 169 



INDEX. 179 

PAGE 

Gold Leaf 113 

Gold Leaf, To Apply 116 

Granite, To Imitate 139 

Green 38 

Green, Bronze 43 

Green, Chrome 38 

Green, Chrome 42 

Green, Milori . . . . 39 

Green, Milori 42 

Green, Olive 39 

Green, Quaker 42 

Home Decoration 148 

Household Articles, To Touch up 129 

Household Implements, Color for 10 

House Painting, Modern Style . 145 

House, To Clean 51 

Imitating Brickwork 147 

Indoor White 4 

Indoor Work, Paint for 9 

Iron Railings, To Paint 83 

Ironwork, Color for 10 

Japan Brown 8 

Japan Drier 3 

Kalsomine 52 

Kalsomine, Prepared 56 

Kalsomine, To Make 53 

Kitchen, To Renovate 85 

Lacquering ■» 113 

Lacquer, Formula for making 119 

Lampblack 9 

Lampblack 42 

Lead (White), Ground in Oil 5 

Leather on Carriages, To Improve 100 

Letter, Learning to 161 

Linseed Oil, Raw and Boiled 3, 6 

Machinery, Color for. ... 10 

Mahogany, Stain — 131 



180 INDEX. 

PAGE 

Mantel-Piece, To Paint or Marble 78 

Marble, To Clean 143 

Marbling Mantel-Pieces 78 

Oak Graining, Stain for. 121 

Ocbre, Yellow 42 

Oil-Cloth for Floors, To Varnish 129 

Oil, Linseed, Boiled 3 

Oil, Linseed, Raw 3 

Oil Paintings, To Varnish 138 

Outbuildings, Color for 10 

Outbuildings, To Paint 89 

Outdoor White 4 

Outdoor Work, Paint for 9 

Oval, To Lay Out 122 

Paint for Blackboards 120 

Paint for Flower-Stands 37 

Paint for Walls of a Room 44 

Paint that Rubs Off 7 

Paint, What is it ? 3 

Paint, White 4, 6 

Painting Cracked Carriage Body 101 

Painting Fences 89 

Painting (House), Modern Styles 145 

Painting Iron Railings 83 

Painting Mantel-Pieces 78 

Painting Outbuildings 89 

Painting Plastered Wall 51 

Painting Shingle Roofs 92 

Painting Stairs 130 

Painting Tin Roofs 92 

Painting Window-Blinds 161 

Painting Woodwork of a Dwelling 46 

Paper-Hanging 62 

Paper (Sensitized), To Copy with 125 

Paper (Tracing), To Make 126 

Paper (Wall), To Varnish 161 

Paste for Hanging Paper 62 



INDEX. 181 

PAGE 

Pencils, Care of , 19 

Pencils, Lettering 18 

Pencils, Striping , 17 

Pencils, To Select 18 

Piano, To Polish 156 

Picture Frames, To Eenovate . . 141 

Pigments which can be Used without Grinding 41 

Plaques, To Varnish 137 

Plaster Casts, To Bronze 83 

Plows, To Paint 38 

Plastered "Wall, To Paint 51 

Polishing Pianos 156 

Portland Stone, To Imitate. . .'. 139 

Print, To Transfer 134 

Pumice-Stone 160 

Putty for Fine Carriages 128 

Putty for Machinery 128 

Putty for Wagons 127 

Putty for Windows 127 

Putty (Hard and Dry), To Remove 143 

Putty, To Make 127 

Putty, To Soften Old 128 

Rakes, To Paint 38 

Red 9 

Red, Indian 42 

Red, Venetian 42 

Renovating Furniture 159 

Renovating Picture Frames 141 

Renovating Walls and Ceilings 51 

Roofing 90 

Roof (Shingle), To Paint 92 

Roof (Tin), To Paint 90 

Room, Paint for Walls of 44 

Rosewood, Imitation of for Furniture 37 

Rosewood Stain 122 

Rustic- Work, To Varnish 136 

Sanding in Imitation of Stone 138 



182 INDEX. 

PAGE 

Sash Tool 14 

Sensitized Paper, Copying with 125 

Shingle Roofs, To Paint 92 

Sienna, Burnt 42 

Silvering ' . . 113 

Silver Leaf 113 

Size, Quick 115 

Size, How to Prepare 53 

Sleighs, White for 48 

Smalt 140 

Spatter-Work 148 to 155 

Stain for Mahogany 121 

Stain for Rosewood 122 

Staining Oak Graining 121 

Staining Wood 143 

Stairs, To Paint 130 

Star, To Lay Out 124 

Stencils for Ornamenting Ceilings 58 

Stencilling for Wagons 110 

Stencilling Oil-Cloth 130 

Stone (Portland), To Imitate 139 

Stone, To Imitate 138 

Tin Roof, To Paint 90 

Tints for Kalsomining 55 

Tints for Walls of a Room 46 

Tints, How Formed 8 

Tools required in Painting 12 

Toys, To Paint 163 

Tracing Paper, To Make 126 

Transferring Prints 134 

Turpentine 3 

Umber, Burnt 42 

Varnish, Damar 7 

Yarnish, Furniture and Carriage 160 

Varnish Injured by Ammonia 164 

Varnishing 99 

Varnishing a Buggy 102 



INDEX. 183 

PAGE 

Varnishing Chromos 137 

Varnishing Clock Cases. 137 

Varnishing Floor Oil-Cloth , . , 129 

Varnishing Front Door 131 

Varnishing Oil Paintings 138 

Varnishing over White 7 

Varnishing Plaques 137 

Varnishing Rustic- Work 136 

Varnishing Vestibules 133 

Varnishing Wall Paper 161 

Vestibule, To Varnish 133 

Vermilion 42 

Vermilion, American ......... 40 

Vermilion, English 10 

Vermilion, English 40 

Wagon (Business), To Paint .... 32 

Wagon (Farm), To Paint 106 

Wagons, White for 48 

Walls of Houses, To Renovate 51 

Wall Paper, Varnishing 161 

Walls, Preparing Kalsomine for 53 

Wash-Tubs, To Paint 38 

White for Exterior 47 

White for Wagons and Sleighs 48 

White-Lead 8 

White-Lead 42 

Whitewashing 70 

Window Blinds, To Paint 161 

Wood, Staining ... 143 

Woodwork of Dwelling, To Paint 46 

Yellow, Chrome 42 

Zinc, To Clean 79 



184 EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 

F. W. DEVOE & CO., 

Cor. Fulton and William Sts., New York, 

MANUFACTURERS OF 

DRY COLORS. 

Colors in Oil, in Japan, and in Distemper. 



VARNISHES AND JAPANS. 



Eeaij-Mixei Paints. 

If you wish to buy Mixed Paints that are pure and 
contain no Water, Benzine, Rubber, Alkali, or Chemi- 
cals, but made only of Pure Linseed Oil, Turpentine, 
and Driers, ask for F. W. Devoe & Co.'s Ready-Mixed 
Paints. 



MANUFACTURERS OF 

FINE BRUSHES 

OF EVERY DESCRIPTION, 

AND ALL 

Painters' Supplies, Artists' Materials, Etc. 



COFFIN, DEVOE & CO., Chicago. 



EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 185 

JOHNSTON'S 

PATENT STANDARD 

-DRY SIZBD— « 

KALSOMINE 

AND 

Fresco Faints, 

FOR COLORING WALLS AND CEILINGS. 



READY \ltV W FOR USE 




Eight First-Class Awards. 

AN UNEQUALLED PREPARATION. 

Nine-Tenths Cheaper than Wall Paper. 
Three-Fourths Cheaper than Oil Paint. 

Pure Wliite, and a Variety of Beautiful Tints. 

Endorsed by Painters, Dealers, and Housekeepers wherever 
tried. 

No poisonous matter enters into its composition. 
Purines and. Beautifies. 

"Will not rul> or scale from the Trail, but makes a smooth, 
rich, and even surface. 

Invaluable in cleansing and disinfecting' Trails impreg- 
nated with germs of disease. 

Mixed in five minutes ready for the brush, by the addition of 
water only. 

An inexperienced person can use it, with the greatest ease and facility. 

Not a common Trash, but a ready and convenient Paint 
for inside work on stone, brick, wood, or plaster. 

Six pounds will make over a gallon, which Trill cover Trith a 
good "body, 500 square feet, on a hard-finished wall, one 
coat. Testimonials from scientific and practical men all over the world. 
Ask for "Johnston's Patent Bry Sized Kalsomine," 
and see that you do not get any poor substitute. For sale 
by Paint, Drug and Hardware Dealers everywhere. Send for sample 
card and circular to 

DRY KALSOMINE AND FRESCO PAINT WORKS, 

Office: SO« Water St., New York. 



186 EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 



ARE YOU GOING TO PAINT? 

IF SO, USE 

THE AVERILL PAINT. 

READY FOR USE. 

The Averill Paint has been extensively used throughout the United 
States for fifteen years, with a constantly increasing demand, and we confi- 
dently commend it to you as the best article in the market. 

First. — It is ready for use, and those who desire to paint without the aid of 
skilled labor, can readily do so. 

Second. — It is more economical than the ordinary lead and oil, both in the 
first cost, covering properties, and is far more durable. 

Third. — It produces a handsomer finish than any other Paint, leaving, when 
finished, a rich, glossy surface. 

Fourth. — It will not chalk off, but remain firm and durable 

Fifth. — It does not fade, whereas other Paint loses its freshness and color 
soon after application. 

Sixth. — It is peculiarly adapted to salt or sea air exposure, experience having 
demonstrated that it will last twice as long as lead and oil. 

We respectfully invite a trial, and are confident you will be pleased with the 
result. 

Seventh. — We Guarantee it will give satis/action. 

G-TJARAITTEE. 

We Guarantee this paint will prove satisfactory to the purchaser when applied ac- 
cording to directions. We do not mean a guarantee of satisfaction only "when the paint 
is first applied — as any paint is satisfactory when first applied— but our guarantee em- 
braces a sufficient time to properly test the merit of the paint. t 

Our friends from whom this paint may be purchased are authorized to protect this 
guarantee. 

SEELEY BROTHERS, Manufacturers. 

For prices, send to 

SEELEI BROTHERS, Xew York, Boston, and Chicago. 



IS A VALUABLE DISCOVERY. 

It is the only natural and durable material with which to finish Walls and 
Ceilings. 

It is cheaper than Kalsomine ; works easier, and may be applied by any one. 
After cleaning, no sizing or other preparation for the Walls is necessary, and 
one coat can be applied upon another as soon as dry. 

It is whiter than any other material, and the tints are more clear and more 
delicate. The white will not turn yellow, nor the tinls/tfaV. 

Cracks in the Walls can be easily filled with the brush and a little thick Ala- 
BASTINE, while applying the first coat. This can not be done with Kalsomine. 

Alabastine can be applied over old Kalsomine or Whitewash, which, how- 
ever, should be washed or scraped off, to insure a first-class job. 

It is the most suitable article for using over wall paper, or soiled painted walls. 

Wood ceilings, whether painted or not, can be made whiter with one coat of 
Alabastine than with three coats of lead or zinc. 

Send for Sample Card to 

SEELEY BROTHERS, New York, Boston, and Chicago, and 
ALABASTINE CO., Grand Rapids, Mich. 



EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 187 



H:W.JOHNC 

* wmmwr 

LIQUID PJLIHTS 

are composed exclusively of the best and purest materials, combined on differ- 
ent principles from any other Liquid or Mixed Paints, and are of a 
nig'her grade than have ever before been offered to the public, either in 
"paste" or liquid form, and are second to none in richness, and permanency 
of color, beauty of finish, and durability. 

None but the purest linseed oil and the best pigments enter into 
their composition. 

We manufacture forty-eight standard "body "and trimming colors, beside 
blues, greens, reds, black, etc., etc., and inside and outside whites, and will 
furnish sample sheets and pamphlet on 

"STRUCTURAL DECORATION" 

free, by mail, on application. 

ROOF, CAR, AND BRIDGE PAINTS 

in seven colors. Are especially adapted for outbuildings, barns, fences, and for 
iron and rough woodwork. 

STRICTLY PURE COLORS 

Ground in Refined Oil. 

They are intended to take the place of the ordinary " colors in oil," for gen- 
eral house decoration. They are ground in refined Calcutta linseed oil, to a 
fineness not excelled by the best imported " artist colors." 

ASBESTOS ROOFING. 

The standard and reliable portable roofing, for steep or flat roofs in any 
climate. Skilled labor not required in its application. 

ASBESTOS BUILDING FELT. 

For interlining frame buildings, floors, etc. It is wind, dust, and strictly fire 
proof. 

Send for Fall Descriptive Catalogue, Samples, Etc., Etc. 

H. W. JOHNS Manufacturing Co., 

87 nvc^inDiEisr laistb, it. sr. 

Sole Manufacturers of 

Genuine Asbestos Liquid Paints, Roof Paints, Roofing, Steam Pipe and Boiler 
Coverings, Piston and Wick Packing, Millboard Fire-Propf Paints, Cements, 
Coatings, etc., etc. 



EVERYBODY'S PAINT BOOK. 



HOW TO TELL 

TXie Age of £*, Horse. 

A POCKET MANUAL, 

Giving full information of the methods employed by Professional Horsemen 
and Veterinarians to determine the Ages of Horses, with numerous illustra- 
tions, showing the shape of the teeth at different ages, and a 

CHAPTER ON HORSE CHARACTER, 

Or how to Determine the Disposition of a Horse, with portraits of several 
famous trotters and thorough-breds. 

3B~5r 3p3R03rj\ j. mc. bbeeakdd, 

Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London, and Professor of 

Clinical Surgery and Surgical Pathology in the New York College 

of Veterinary Surgeons. 

Everybody interested in horses should have a copy of this handy volume. It 
can easily be carried in the pocket, so as to be ready for instant use. Price in 
flexible cloth covers, 30 cents. Mailed to any address on receipt of amount in 
postage-stamps. Address 

M. T. RICHARDSON, Publisher, 7 Warren St., New York. 
.a. nsriEW booik: cost 

Carriage Jfc-*a±xit±iis- 



The Complete Carriage and Wagon Painter is the 

title of a work of nearly 200 pages, which gives in plain language, detailed 
directions for painting Carriages, Wagons, and Sleighs, besides 

full instructions in all the various branches, including lettering, Scroll- 
ing, Ornamenting Striping, Tarnishing, and Color- 
ing, with numerous recipes for mixing colors. It contains nearly 200 
Illustrations. This is, without doubt, the most complete work of the kind 
ever issued, and is indispensable to those whose opportunities for learning the 
business have been limited. It will be found valuable to all, and especially to those 
who do their own painting. 

It contains twenty-two chapters. The first treats of" The Shop, and how it should 
be Constructed." Then comes " Mixing Colors," " Priming," describing the 
" Lead-Color Method," " The Putty-Knife Method," " The Wood-Filling Method," 
etc. Troubles of Painters described. Specky Varnish. Crawling Varnish. Cracking of 
Paint. Wagon Striping, with description of tools employed. Wagon Lettering, with 
illustrations of a great variety of letters. Wagon Scrolling is fully described and illus- 
trated. " Touching up Repair Work 1 '; another, " How to Paint a Cheap Job," includ- 
ing an Express Wagon, " How to Re-Varnish a Carriage," "Harmony of Colors," 
Transfer ornaments and how to make them. 

Illustrations are Given of a Variety of Monograms, 

The price of this book, which is hand^mely bound in cloth with gold and ink sides, 
is but One Dollar, including the postage — that is, for $1.00 it will be delivered at 
your post-office. Send the amount by post-office order, postal note, in postage-stamps, 
by registered letter, or in any way most convenient. Address 

HI. T. RICHARDSON, Publisher, 7 Warren St., New York. 



